Not So Happily Ever Afer
by Jalissa Chase
Summary: Sienna is living an awful life. Her stepmother drinks, her stepsisters both have problems with drugs and sex, and their lives seem to be going down the drain. Can she save them with a newfound relationship with a secretive and suspicious Prince?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a more modern version of Cinderella, based on the crumminess in the world and the true length of self-sacrifice. I warn you now, if you're looking forward to the happy ending Cinderella, I advise you not to read. What follows this chapter may surprise you, shock you, or even disturb you, or, for a while, you may be confused-but no matter what you read, this ending will be sad. It's been prewritten and outlined that way, so it will happen. You have been warned.**

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><p><strong>Also, for anyone who counts how many times I wrote "shit" in this, I'll give you a kudos in the next chapter. It's this bet my friend and I have and we need a third party to decide who was right. For anyone interested, the friend's name is The Rage of Fire. Check out her awesome stuff! She updates religiously, for all who are interested! :)<strong>

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><p>Sienna was oblivious the badness in the world when the call came in. She was hard at work, scrubbing the tables and clearing off the dishes so she could go home early. Feeling a bit more upbeat then usual, she even started to sing. It seemed to be the perfect day—no annoying customers, no bitchy ladies with dogs, and no unwelcome visits from her asshole stepmother. Smiling to herself, she set herself into work.<p>

She was so set that when the baker, with pity in his eyes and a phone in his hand, walked in, she didn't so much as look up.

"Sienna?"

Dropping her rag in surprise, Sienna glanced upward. "Frank?" she whispered in surprise. "Please tell me you didn't hear me singing?"

"Sorry," he moved closer. "You've got a phone call. I…think you should take it in the closet."

Snatching it out of his hand, Sienna ran to the broom closet. Letting the door snap shut behind her, she put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Sienna?"

The voice belonged to her younger stepsister, Paige. She sounded unusually scared. Letting the phone fall away from her face, Sienna took a deep breath.

"Paige? Is that you? Are you alright?"

"No!" Paige shrieked. "I'm not alright! This guy tried to get in my pants! He was so nice, and then…and then…"

"Paige," Sienna forced her voice to remain calm. "Where are you?"

"The police station," she sobbed. "Where else could I hide?"

Sienna fell against the closet door. "The police station?" she repeated. "Did he try to…_rape_ you?"

"He kept telling me Lori would do it," Paige cried. "So…I let him. But then I got uncomfortable! I told him to stop! But he wouldn't! He wouldn't, Sienna! So I…I ran!"

"Okay, just stay calm," Sienna could hear her crying on the other end. "I'll be right there. Did you call your mom or Lori?"

"How could I?" she asked. "Mom would call me stupid and Lori would tell me to stop acting like a dumbass. Please come get me, Siennna. Please."

"Okay," Sienna said. "I'm already on my way."

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><p>Sienna waited in her car. It wasn't much, with chipped paint and nearly twice her age, but it was the one thing she truly owned. She bought it with the money her father left her after he passed away and paid for the gas using the money from her job. Besides her stepmom, that made her the only one with a ride. Unlike her stepmom, she didn't share it. It was hers, so she always had it. Sometimes her stepmom would go for days without a ride, having leant it to her friends for booze.<p>

Which, now that Sienna thought about it, might be why Paige called her. If she called her mother, she might not get picked up until Friday. Either she'd wait in the police station or walk home—or call Sienna, knowing full well she'd get shit from Lori about it.

But Sienna was sure Paige had a lot more then shit from Lori to worry about. When she came out, her hair was pulled back in a crappy pony, making her long, curly, black hair look dirty and unwashed. Her clothes were raggy, probably the ones from yesterday, and she had filth all over her face. A long scrape ran down her leg. Someone had tried to cover it with bandages, but using tiny bandages on a huge scrape didn't work. It looked messy and drew attention to the cut.

"Hey," Sienna called.

Paige's whole face flushed. It took her about three seconds to process that it was Sienna, not a rapist, or Lori, or god forbid, her mother. Slowly, her shoulders relaxed and she ran to the car, ripping the door open and sliding inside.

She reaked of alchol. It filled the whole car and made Sienna flinch away from her.

"Party last night?" she asked.

"Big one," Paige agreed.

Sienna smiled. "So I assume you didn't do any of your homework, then?"

Paige looked at her as if she were crazy. "We're not doing anything with our lives, Sienna. If you get out, it's cause your mom was some classy chick or something. We're shit, with a shit-ass mother."

"You got the shit-ass mother part right," Sienna said, putting the car in reverse. "But whether you are or are not shit is not defined by your mother."

"Says you," Paige grumbled.

Sienna laughed. "I guess so." She pulled off the curb and put the car back into drive. "In my opinion, you're not shit. If it means anything."

Paige didn't answer. Sighing, Sienna let the drive go in silence. Every now and then, she couldn't help but look over at Paige anyway, tallying in her mind which bruises were from the almost-rapist and which were from their stepmother.

Some people are born shit, not because of family, but because of their shitty thoughts, she couldn't help but think. Paige isn't shit, she's just growing up in a shit-filled place.

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><p>Home was less then inviting. The house was once average, with white siding and a red door and matching shudders, but now, it had that crazy-cat-lady appearance. The paint was chipped, the shudders either hung sideways or were missing, and the lawn was dead. Since Linda's drinking had started after the death of their father, nothing had been done to the exterior of the house.<p>

The inside was little better. Bottles and papers covered every surface. Dirt and mud caked the once-shined wood, the fishtank was empty and stacked with a bunch of her father's old things, and the lighting was less then helpful. If anything, it made it appear grim and sad. Linda had closed all the curtains, another sign of her hangover.

Linda herself was sprawled out on the couch, a bottle in one hand and a piece of paper similar to a bill in the other. Lori was kneeling beside her, her too-yellow hair looking sickly in the dim light.

They were arguing, as usual.

"I don't see why I can't borrow the car!" Lori yelled.

"I been telling you, Lori," Linda slurred. "There isn't no car. Not 'round here no more. I got fired and had to sell it to…Jack. I think it was Jack. He had a mustache, and he…he kinda smelled like cherries. Lori, does Jack smell like cherries?"

Lori shrieked and jumped up. "You drunken bitch! You sold it for booze, didn't you? I hate you!" Spinning around, she saw Paige and Sienna in the doorway and started shrieking all over again. "Shut the door, dumbass! You're letting in too much light!"

Sienna noticed the redness in Lori's eyes. It amazed her how normal Lori had seemed. She was almost as tolerant as her stepmother had been before she really started to lose it.

"Paige, shut the door and go upstairs," she said.

Paige was happy to oblige. Slamming the door shut, with a muffled protest from her mother about noise, Paige screamed up the stairs without once glancing back.

Sienna was left with Lori.

"I need to borrow your car," she demanded.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you."

"And why's that, Princess Bitch?"

"Because I had to pick up _our sister_ from the police station after nearly getting raped, because _our mother_ didn't have the car or the money for gas to do it!" she yelled. "As she said, I'm now the only one with a job—unless you call what you do a job, Lori! I'm sure if you do it enough, you'll have enough cash not only for a car, but for the gas, too! Have fun with that shit!"

Lori was stunned. Taking advantage of it, Sienna ran up the stairs as Paige had. She didn't dare look back.

"YOU BITCH! SHE'S NOT YOUR SISTER!" Lori screeched, but Sienna barely heard her.

Stumbling into her bedroom, she found her bed and wrapped her arms around her pillow, burrying her face in it and crying herself until she couldn't think straight. She fell into a mess of vivid dreams, praying for a better tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

That night, Sienna had the strangest dream. She found herself in the middle of the old living room, the floors clean and the room bright. The air itself seemed to have a happy mood, but that may have been the lack of her stepmother's presence. Sitting up, she looked from side to side curiously.

"How did I get down here?" she wondered aloud.

As if to answer her, a door slammed down the hall. Jumping to her feet, she ran down the hall to find it. Her feet felt heavy and her breath short, but she pushed, her lungs burning, until she reached the room on the end.

The only door shut was the bathroom door. Running to it, she tried to open it. She pushed and pulled, but it was locked. And then, on the other side, she heard the sound of water running over the side.

"MOM!" She screamed. Suddenly her voice was that of a child's. She had the voice of a confused and scared nine-year-old girl. Banging against the door with her shoulder, she felt pain sear into her side and she collapsed into a heap. "No! No!" She tried to scream, but tears flooded over her lips. Her throat felt painfully dry. "Mom…" she heard herself whisper. "Don't leave me. Not again."

Sienna could only listen as the water ran all over the floor. Steam made its way out of the cracks in the door, making her feel warm and tired. Her tears felt like fire against her cold cheeks. Closing her eyes, she felt sleep claim her.

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><p>"Honey?"<p>

Sienna's body felt weak, but she managed to open her eyes. Wherever she was, it was bright. Too bright. Putting up a hand to shield her face, she called out.

"We're here, honey," a soothing voice said. "You're going to be fine. Open your eyes."

Sienna felt the brightness die away and found her own blue eyes staring down at her.

Her mouth formed the word, "Mom?"

The angelic face smiled at her. "Yes, honey, it's me." Gentle hands brushed her hair back and away from her face. "How do you feel? Are you sick or weak anywhere?"

"I'm fine," she said. "What happened?"

"You just had a nightmare," she said. "It's all over now. You're safe now, Sienna. I'm here."

Sienna forced herself to breathe. "But…Mom…you're dead."

Confusion filled the woman's face. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard you die," Sienna whispered. "That night…in the bathtub…you…you drowned!"

"Don't be silly, Sienna," a third voice said. As he approached, Sienna's mother smiled in only the most affectionate way she could. She hadn't smiled like that in years. Not at Sienna, not at herself, and especially not to Sienna's father—but she did. As if he were still the love of her life, she welcomed his presence. Sienna felt herself moving away. She tried to back away from both of them. Her mind screamed that they were dead. This wasn't real. "What's gotten into you? You've always been this difficult to me, but never to your mother."

"Me?" Sienna whispered. "What about you? You went off and married some complete stranger! I love Lori and Paige, but you went from one psycho wife to another! It's like you didn't learn anything! Does _unstable_ turn you on?"

"Sienna!" her mother scolded. "Don't talk so foul in front of your father! I raised you better than that!"

"_Raised_ me?" Sienna said in disbelief. "You were too busy getting your pill fix, while Dad was off throwing himself into work to ignore us both!"

They both retracted. There forms seemed to phase in and out, making Sienna sick to her stomach. It was wrong and blurry. Hugging herself, she forced the tears away.

"Do you really believe that?" her father asked.

Sienna took a deep breath. "You left me alone, didn't you?"

She watched their faces. They went from confusion to disbelief to anger and then, to her surprise, to guilt. Her mother reached out, but as her hands got too close, Sienna flinched away. In shock, her mother held herself close, her father wrapping his arms around her. They both saw what they had ignored.

"I never realized," said her father.

Sienna spat, "No shit, Sherlock."

"Hey, fuck off Watson," her mother snapped.

Sienna sighed and buried her head in her hands. "Now I know I'm dreaming."

"Even if you are, we want you to know that…you deserve more then you have," her father said.

Sienna's head shot up.

"He's right." Her mother locked her hand in his. "Death makes things so much clearer. You may be absolutely plain, Sienna, but you deserve more. No one's had to suffer as much as you have."

Sienna shook her head. "I can take care of myself."

"That's it, yourself?" her mother shouted. "You have Lori and Paige and your future family to think about! Life is never satisfied with just yourself! You will never have anything handed to you, being as plain as you are, so you must _take_ it!"

"Take it?" she repeated. "Doesn't that sound selfish to you?"

"The skinny bitches get away with it," she said. "Nobody will notice if one average girl takes her happily ever after. You're right about one thing: watch out for yourself. Never let anyone else take care of you. But always take care of everyone else, too."

Sienna shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense!"

Voices began to surround her. She saw their lips move, but no words came out. It was like someone had turned their stereo on and put it all the way up, the music blaring and the words too garbled to make out.

Covering her ears, Sienna began to run. She didn't care where, or how long, or how fast. She just wanted to get the hell away. Putting her head down, she ran like the devil himself was after her.

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><p><strong>Hey, guys! :) Nobody took me up on the "count the shit" challenge! Not cool! :) So whats up? Everybody good? It's Saturday! WHOO! Any ideas for Halloween? I'm just rambling now. I'm with a friend (the Rage of Fire) and she's updating and it takes a while.<strong>

**Love you guys!**

**~Jalissa Chase**


	3. Chapter 3

Sienna's eyes snapped open. Her arms and legs were shaking. All around her, the blankets of the bed had been strewn everywhere recklessly. Her pillows were on the floor. She was staring out the open door of her bedroom, down the hallway towards the stairs.

From where she lay, she saw Paige's door was ajar.

Panic overtook her. Launching out of bed, she grabbed her car keys off the bedside table and nearly fell down the stairs. Using the column at the end for a U-turn, she swung down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Paige?"

The girl looked up in surprise. She was bent over the sink with a knife, her wrist exposed up to her elbow. There were no cuts, but blood trickled down her lip. She was too shocked at being discovered to feel it. After a few seconds, she felt the ping and her exposed hand went to her lip. She drew it back, studying the line of blood.

"Ow, that hurts!" she complained.

"Are you kidding me?" Sienna slapped her hand to her forehead. "You were ready to cut your wrists, but when you bite your _lip_, it hurts?"

"I didn't do it," Paige snapped.

"The knife is still in your hand!" Sienna cried.

Paige looked down at it. "So?"

"You're a—" the word formed on her lips, but she couldn't say it. Paige hated being called a dumbass. Lori called her a dumbass all the time. Sighing, Sienna walked in and took the knife from her hand. "Come on," she said, taking Paige's arm and putting the knife down. "We're leaving."

Paige wasn't enthusiastic. "We are?"

"Yes," she says, looking Paige right in the eyes. "You're going to live with my grandma until you've got your head back on. Got it?"

Paige didn't argue. Something told Sienna she was getting the better end of the deal—she was getting out of this crazy house.

"Don't I get some clothes?" she asked.

Sienna released her wrist. "Pack a bag and come back down," she said. "I'll be waiting in the car."

Paige took her time. She watched Sienna as she went up the stairs, waiting for some sort of insult, teasing, or something. Sienna didn't say a word, just shooed her on with her eyes.

Once Paige was around the corner, she snuck into the laundry room and snatched up a pair of jeans, a clean t-shirt and underwear, and one of Lori's old jackets. She walked out the front and saw her car sitting with a note under the windshield wiper.

It was from Lori.

_Sienna—_

_Sorry about being a bitch. Thanks for Paige._

_You do well, Shithead._

_Lori_

Picking it off the hood, she tucked it into her pocket. It wasn't a sign of peace—it was a little sliver of hope for Paige. Even if Lori hadn't accepted her, she still agreed that any help they got for Paige was the best. It wasn't right for Paige to grow up in this.

"Hey!" Paige called from the front steps. She had one red converse on and the other in her hand. "What's on the note? Did some shithead cop give you a ticket or something?"

"It's nothing like that," Sienna said. "And stop saying shithead. You sound like trash."

Paige didn't respond. Instead, she got in on the copilot side, putting her foot against the dash as she tied her shoes.

"Classy," Sienna couldn't help but say.

"Don't you have a job to get to?" Paige said.

Groaning, Sienna slid in the driver's side and started the car. "You know, you're growing up a little too fast," she said.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Paige said unconcerned, making some elaborate design with her shoelaces. The bow went sideways, weaving in and out of the laces.

"I'm going to make you spend time with my gram," she said. "Isn't that doing something?"

Paige didn't say anything. The rest of the car ride was in silence.

Gram was tending the flowers in the front of her house. When the car rolled into the driveway, she looked surprised. Dropping the hose, she walked over to the car.

"Sienna? Is that you, baby?" she asked.

"Hey, Grandma," Sienna said softly. "Yeah, it's me." She motioned towards Paige. "Gram, do you remember Paige? She's my younger step-sister. I was wondering if she could stay here for a few days."

"Why, sure baby," Gram's eyes filled with worry. "Is something going on? Is that no-good Linda finding comfort in the drink again?"

Sienna flinched. "It's, uh, something like that."

"_Something_ like that?" Paige whispered in disbelief.

Gram's face shadowed. "You know, baby, if Linda's ever giving you any sort of trouble, you're always welcome here…"

"Not now," Sienna tried to smile. "I've got to get to work. I'm really just dropping Paige off." She turned to Paige. "Why don't you go drop your stuff inside and then come out and help Grandma?"

"She's not _my_ grandma," Paige mumbled, but got out of the car with her bag and went inside.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Sienna stopped smiling. "I'm so sorry, Gram. I didn't know what else to do. She's a handful, but there's no place else she can go. I thought about Dad's parents, but they get sad every time they see me. You were her last chance."

Gram leaned into the car, her blue eyes blazing like Mom's used to when she was worried. "Baby, you remind me so much of myself. No matter how much sadness there is in the world, we women, we just keep going. It's what keeps us from going insane."

She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Sienna flinched, but she didn't feel the urge to cry. The dream had completely wiped her emotional strength out.

"We both know what makes a woman insane," she said. "And it's not what she does or doesn't do. We can act insane, but to be truly insane—that's when you give up."

Gram smiled. "You're not going to end up like her, baby."

"We can only hope," Sienna put the car in park. "I'll see you soon. I have work today, and then I was going to go home and check on Lori. She was a mess yesterday. They both were."

Gram's eyes misted over. "They've both gotten used to the drink?"

Sienna nodded.

"Now, if that isn't the saddest…" Gram sighed. "It's one thing when a widow who's lost her husband turns to drink, but when a widow drowns her own children in her sorrow that they turn to it, too, it's wrong. Completely wrong. Even your mother…"

She didn't dare say the rest. Sienna already knew what she'd say.

_Even your mother knew there was a way not to hurt anyone else._

"There's always a third option." Sienna stated.

"Not always, baby," Gram said, stepping back. "Sometimes, you take the bullshit of the world and do the one thing that seems right—no matter how fucked up."

"Gram!" Sienna scolded.

"It's a new age," Gram said. "Let a woman speak her mind, no matter what words she uses. I can say shit if I want."

With a small smile, Sienna let the car roll out of the driveway and into the street. As she rolled up her window, Paige appeared on the porch. She was dressed in a white t-shirt, old jeans, and her old red converse. She waved at Sienna and then walked to help Gram.

Pride welled up in Sienna's chest. Give the girl a piece of hope and she knew what to do with it. Paige would be alright. Gram was a good role model. She'd bring her back down.

Turning around the corner, Sienna forced herself to only think of work.

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><p>Sienna had never felt so dead tired. Pulling herself through the front door, she put the fresh pie from work on the table and went upstairs. She shed her work clothes and put on an old pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Slumping into her bed, it wasn't long before she was in a dreamless sleep.<p>

When she awoke, it felt like only minutes. The sun was high in her room, which meant late afternoon. She didn't have work today. Grinding her teeth, she forced herself out of bed.

Down the hallway, she heard voices. Lori and Linda's voices, sounding oddly more sober then they had in a long time. Halfway down the stairs, she sat down and listened.

"Ah, that girl's good for something, Lori!" Linda said.

"This pie looks delicious!" Lori agreed.

For a few minutes, all Sienna heard was the disgusting sounds of eating pie like pigs. Forks clanked against china and laughter filled the foyer.

"Hey, Lori, what's more powerful than the power of love?" Linda asked with a snort.

Lori, clearly confused, said, "The power of pie?"

"Yes, dear," Linda scooped another chunk into her mouth. "That's what the world runs on—lots and lots and lots of pie."


	4. Chapter 4

A few hours later, Sienna awoke to the sound of yelling. It wasn't scared or threatening, just angry. For the millionth time, she forced herself out of bed, changed into a flowered sundress with a pink jacket and brown combat boots, and went down the stairs.

"Straight, Larissa, I said straight!" Linda screeched.

Lori didn't take yelling from anyone. "Shut up, Mom! I'm trying!"

Sienna made her way down the stairs. They were in the living room. Linda was on the couch, playing a portable radio of old-style waltz music while Lori danced with a sack of potatoes, her hair up in curlers and her face smudged with makeup.

"What the hell?"

Both their heads snapped back to look at her.

"Oh, there you are, Sienna!" Linda got up and handed her the radio. "Since you're the classy one, teach Larissa how to waltz!"

Sienna didn't move. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Lori held her sack of potatoes, Linda extending the radio to Sienna, and Sienna looking lost and confused.

Again, she asked, "What the hell?"

"Didn't you hear?" Lori said. "There's a huge party tonight! The prince is holding a ball to find a girlfriend! Isn't it wonderful? The invitation said every single, available maiden is welcome to come and have one dance with the prince! I'm going to snag me a prince!"

Sienna just stared at her. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. For a second, she felt like she had something, but it died on her lips. Nothing could be said.

"You look sick," Linda observed.

"No," Sienna shook her head. "I'm just very, very confused."

"Sienna, PCP causes hallucinations!" Linda said. "You need to be careful when they hand you brownies at parties! I thought you learned that from Paige's experiments, if not Lori's."

Sienna was about to say _I don't do drugs _when she realized who she was talking to. Her stepmother was awake, but she wasn't in the right mind. She never was these days. Sighing, Sienna nodded and walked into the kitchen. Her eyes were where she had left them, next to the empty pie pan and the toaster.

"I'm heading over to my grandma's," Sienna called.

"WAIT!" Lori ran into the kitchen, still holding the sack. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"You're a smart girl, Lori," I said. "You don't need to learn to waltz to charm a prince. I think. Just use whatever lines you use on guys at parties and he'll fall all over you…most likely."

Lori's cheeks sucked in. "I don't want to be trashy!" she snapped. "I want to be lady-like! I want to be like you! So help me!"

Sienna froze. Something told her to believe anything else, but she saw the truth in Lori's eyes. Hurt but not defeated, she shook her head. "I can't," she said. "I have to check on Paige. Early yesterday morning, I took her over to my grandma's to take some of the stress off. I was going to go make sure she wasn't driving Gram up the wall."

Lori's face paled. "You took Paige away?"

A sinking feeling started in the pit of Sienna's stomach. "I found her in the kitchen," she said quietly. "There was a knife in her hand. She was trying to…hurt herself."

Lori's eyes grew wide. The potatoes fell to the floor. Something like alarm flickered in Lori's eyes. Stepping away from Sienna, she began to shake her head back and forth.

"Did you call anyone?" she demanded.

Sienna shook her head and said, "No, I didn't."

"Good!" Lori kicked the potatoes. "We're fine! Paige's smart! She doesn't need anybody's help! She'll get out of this shithole!"

She left the kitchen. A tiny bit of pity went out to her from Sienna. Maybe there was really something between Paige and Lori she had always missed. They used the same swear words, but that was Paige idolizing Lori. This…the reverse effect…it was something else entirely.

Maybe Lori had gone down the same path as Paige, only to find there wasn't a Sienna waiting for her at the end of it to grab her hand before she got too deep.

Shaking away the thought, Sienna grabbed her jacket and snuck out the garage door. Getting in her car, she let her eyes stray on the front window before backing out.

Inside, Lori was hard at work. Now Linda was towering textbooks on her head and clapping her hands to a beat. Lori wobbled and the books fell. As they did, Sienna saw a tear.

_Paige_, her mind commanded.

Sienna put the car into drive.

* * *

><p>When Sienna walked into Gram's house, Paige was sitting at the dining room table. She was cleaned up, in clean clothes, patched up and bandaged, and intently studying the bible.<p>

_I must be dreaming, _she thought.

Walking in as quietly as she could, she put her keys on the coffee table and, careful not to disturb Paige, made her way into the kitchen through the side hallway doors.

Gram, as was her normal routine, was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of bitter-smelling tea and a slice of pie from the shop Sienna worked at. Outside, the humming birds were getting a kick out of her bird feeder. Gram watched them intently, her eyes glassy and still, as if she felt despair and this was the only way she could grieve.

Sitting down next to her, Sienna put her hand over Gram's.

"How are you two doing?" she asked.

Gram didn't even look in her direction. "I didn't think you'd be over quite so soon," she said. "It's a good thing you didn't cause a ruckus. I just got that girl to open the damn thing."

"Hey, she's never had any experience with God," I said. "To her, it seems foolish and weak…in her eyes, it's for those who are full of themselves or are too weak to take care of themselves."

Gram laughed. "Believe it or not, I think she fits into both those categories. Maybe that's why she gave it a shot."

"Gram, you're mean," she scolded. "The least you could have done was giving her my old kid bible. That one at least has pictures."

Sighing, Gram shook her head. Pulling free of Sienna's hand, she sipped her tea. They sat in silence, watching what looked suspiciously like mating between the two humming birds. When Sienna couldn't take anymore, she got up.

"I'm going to head back," she said.

Gram finally looked up. "Are you heading to that party?"

It took Sienna a few seconds to realize what on Earth Gram was talking about. When she did, her cheeks went pink and the tips of her ears went red.

"Gram!" she gasped. "I'm not interested in meeting some snobby, spoiled, bratty prince…"

"Then don't," Gram said coolly. "If I were you, I'd be trying to score one of the suckers who came there looking for a rejected girl. Would it kill you to have a little fun?"

Sienna remembered what Linda had said earlier.

"Do I _look_ like I'm on PCP?"

"Honey, in that ratty old jacket, I wasn't sure if you were sleeping in a landfill with a case of Samuel Adams." For a moment she looked thoughtful, and then reconsidered her wording. "Actually, you do live in a landfill surrounded by cases of Samuel Adams, so…I guess what I'm saying is…are you a liquor, wine, or beer kind of girl?"

Sienna just stared at her grandmother with her mouth wide open in shock and her eyes larger than ever before.

"Unbelievable," she muttered.

From behind them, a small cackle echoed down the hallway. Sienna spun around to find Paige's black ringlets poking out from the doorway to the living room. There were a few more muffled giggles, followed by the dam breaking and a loud thump as Paige hit the floor laughing.

"Paige!" She yelled. "It's not funny!"

"Hell yes it is!" Paige hollered back.

Sienna stood up and tore off the jacket. "Fine, is any of Mom's old stuff around?" she asked.

Gram's eyes misted over. "Yes, I keep them in her closet. Do you want me to go or…?"

"I've got it," Sienna snapped. Walking up the stairs, she found her mother's room and searched through the rack. Everything in here was from her mother's good days. A few dresses, a winter coat, some t-shirts, a sweater, and three jackets. Pulling out a solid black one, she slipped it on over her sundress. Turning around, she faced Gram and Paige. "Is this better?"

"Classy," Paige mimicked Sienna's voice.

"You know, in the back, there's a dress you might want," Gram offered.

Sienna didn't want anything other than the jacket, but something in Gram's eyes drew her back to the closet. Pushing the other clothes aside, she found a single navy-blue dress in the back. It was strapless, tight around the chest area, and then, slowly filled out around the waist and down. It was plain but elegant.

"I don't remember this," she whispered, taking it off the hanger. The fabric was soft and comfortable, a little stretchy at the hips but the top maintained its shape. "What did she wear it for?"

"Back when your parents were a couple, a real thing around our town, he decided to take her to Paris. Didn't tell a soul he was taking her, just did, and surprised her with the Eiffel Tower. They were so tired, but there they were, busy street in Paris, and he bent down in front of her." Gram laughed to herself. "Your mother told me she was in sweats and a t-shirt. Yet, he offered her a ring like it was a normal thing to do. She took it, and that night, they went to dinner. This was the dress she wore to that dinner."

Paige walked over and let her fingers brush over the fabric. "A dress from Paris," she said. "Does that mean some French lady will come after you for wearing her design at any given time?"

"Hush, baby," Gram bopped Paige gently on the head. "You're ruining my freaking story." She looked into Sienna's eyes, both pleading and offering at the same time. "She said it was her Cinderella night. Maybe it's got a little Paris magic left in it."

Sienna looked at Paige. Paige looked back at Sienna. At the same time, they both said, "Bullshit."

Gram groaned. "Oh, for crying out loud, Paige, I'm trying to get her to go to the freaking ball and find herself a damn boyfriend! Could you be a _little_ more helpful?"

"I'll do her makeup!" Paige offered.

Sienna's eyes widened. "No way in hell. I've seen what you do with eye shadow. I have no desire to look like a scared-shit raccoon, thanks."

Paige's eyes lit up. "So you're going?"

Sienna backtracked. "I didn't say that."

"Oh yes you did!" Gram cheered. "Get out of your clothes and into that dress! Right now! I'm going to go find some makeup. Paige, make sure she doesn't escape! I'll be right back!"

Gram ran out of the room before Sienna could stop her. There was the sound of running and then an old lady sprinting across the house to her bathroom. Drawers slammed open and the sound of rifling echoed through the house.

"Damn I like your grandma," Paige said.

Sienna couldn't help but notice the little shimmer of admiration in her eyes. In defeat, she held the dress up. It was maybe a little long, but it was her size. No other excuses came to mind.

"So do you think I wear a bra with this?" she asked aloud.

"Not if you're trying to attract a man."

Sienna sighed and threw her jacket onto the bed. "Right. Wrong question to the wrong person. Forgot." Stripping her clothes off and sliding the dress on, she moaned internally as she heard the sound of Gram's footsteps racing back up the steps. "Let's get this damn thing over with already."

* * *

><p><strong>Is this beginning to look familiar to anyone? :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Sienna had never felt so light-headed. Gram and Paige had spun around her faster then she could think, curling her dead-straight brown hair, adding makeup, and tossing one pair of shoes at her after another. In the end, she was saddled with a pair of one-inch pin heels, elegant but not too uncomfortable.

After dressing her up, they shooed her out. Paige was saying some nonsense about not giving too much away before she had commitment and Gram said something about it was okay to dig a hole with the guy by starting with grandchildren, then moving up to marriage.

Unable to answer either of them, she got in the car and they yelled at her to go. She did. It had been a numb, unconscious reflex, but it wasn't hard. The rest of the city was headed the same way she was: towards the palace.

The line seemed endless, with crowds of people waiting at the door to go in. Most were groups of ladies, laughing and chatting as if they were used to such lives. Sienna recognized a few and knew for a fact the dresses they wore were borrowed, if not bought only to be returned the next day. They all had perfect hair and nails with brightly colored dresses on, their shoes bright and shiny with diamonds or overdone with bows.

Sienna couldn't help but feel plain. She wore no jewelry, her hair was simply curled and not twisted up in an elaborate fashion, and she most certainly didn't have the height these girls did. She couldn't even imagine wedging her feet into their size shoe.

Feeling dread, she focused on the line ahead. _Safe distance_, she thought. _Maintain a very careful speed; if you hit one these cars, you'll pay for it the rest of your life, even if they take some pity on you._

Easing her foot off the gas pedal, she measured the space between herself and the doors. She wasn't far now, but she was the end of the line. The girls outside were beginning to surge forward, sensing the start of the party. It wouldn't be long now.

After a long five minutes, she was next. The crowd had moved right up to the door, but very few had yet to go in. They bunched up around, talking and pointing and laughing as cars unloaded. When Sienna got up to the drop off, she realized just how bad of a situation she was in.

She was alone. The exterior of her car was less then presentable. Her dress was tight up top and strapless. To her horror, she realized she was dressed like a gold-digging whore.

"Ma'am?" the valet called her back.

Sienna's head snapped back to look at him. "Oh, sorry."

"Can I take your car?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," she opened the door and stepped out, the navy blue dress falling around her.

"Your name?" he asked.

She tried to smile. "Carlton," she said. "Sienna Carlton."

The valet smiled back. "Thank you, Ms. Carlton." He slid into the car after her. "I'll take extra care of you car. Enjoy your evening."

"Thank you."

She watched her car drive away without her. If this was what letting go of your child was like, she didn't want children. It hurt to watch it go. The good news was it was a piece of crap that no one would take for a joyride. Sighing, she turned to face the crowd.

"Did you see the car she came in?" someone whispered.

Another one laughed. "What a piece of junk!"

"When they said _everyone_, they didn't mean _everyone_."

"How sad, she's clearly after his money."

Sienna stood her ground. In the back of her mind, a little voice told her Lori wouldn't take this. Paige wouldn't either. Keeping her head high, she took hold of her dress and held it high as she walked up the steps. A few stray men looked at her as she walked. She couldn't help but notice their reactions.

At first, they looked her up and down, grading her appearance with their eyes. Next, compared to the other girls, they offered her a look of pity. When they received no admiration for their condolences, they simply moved on completely.

Hell, they thought she was _easy_!

She couldn't help it. The tears sprang to her eyes faster then she could blink, and making a quick duck for the bathroom, she strutted out of sight and out of mind.

Inside the bathroom, she picked a stall, wadded up a bunch of tissue paper, and picked a corner that looked cleaner than the rest. Settling into a crouch so not to ruin the dress, she gently dabbed her eyes and forced the tears back.

_Lori wouldn't cry_, she chanted silently to herself. _Paige wouldn't shed a tear. I come from a family of bad-ass girls. Even my grandma told me to go out and get laid in less then said words._

But she still felt so stupid and embarrassed. Somehow, she'd been tricked into the most embarrassing moment of her life.

"I didn't even want to go," she whispered angrily.

"Really?" a voice said behind her. "Let's be honest, honey, if you really didn't want to go, then you dressed up pretty nicely for church."

Letting out a strangled breath, Sienna stood up and turned around. Before her was a familiar face, an angelic-looking girl with blonde ringlets. She was dressed in a tighter-then-hell mermaid dress the color of the ocean and smelled like tropical flowers.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Let's just say Paige gave me a call," she said, moving forward. Taking the paper from Sienna, she dabbed at her eyes and pulled a tube of mascara out of her bag. "I'm Camryn."

"How do you know Paige?" she sniffed. "Paige is like fifteen."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Camryn said, letting her fingers trace the stray eye shadow and smudging her eyeliner back into place. "Believe it or not, I'm sixteen. If you ever tell anyone I work the party circuit with Paige, I'll kill you. I have a reputation to upkeep." She smiled. "There you are. You're beautiful all over again."

Wadding up some more tissue paper, Sienna blew her nose. "Why are you helping me?" she asked. "Don't you want to snag a prince, too?"

"Honey, I can, any day of the week," she said with a sympathetic smile. "I don't want to get personal with you, but I'm all alone here, too. Believe it or not, this is a mutual relationship."

Sienna was amazed. "You're smart."

"Well-educated, dear," Camryn corrected, "You're in a proper place. Don't act at all like Paige. Now show me your backside."

Sienna spun around. Behind her, there was a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness you didn't total this thing when you crouched down. I would have killed you with my bare hands. There's only so much a diva can fix." Putting her hand on Sienna's shoulder, Camryn wheeled her around. "You're absolutely breathtaking. That confidence thing out there was great—your issue, however, was locking eyes with the enemy. Don't give anyone the time of day. Repeat after me: You. Are. _The_. Shit."

Sienna shook her head, "I don't know—"

"Cinderella, I'm not going to sit around with you and hold your freaking hand," Camryn warned.

"I. AM. _THE_. SHIT."

Camryn smiled. "Good, we understand one another." Leaning against the stall door, she crossed her arms. "Now, listen to me. This is playing hard-to-get. I have two guys out there—total pigs, to be honest—waiting for us. When I hand you off to one, look completely bored: some other loser will pick up on it and pick _you_ up. Got it?" Sienna nodded. "Perfect." Camryn extended her arm. Sienna hooked her elbow. "We are bad-ass bitches now."

Together, they walked out of the bathroom. Together, they walked out onto the dance floor. Together, they approached two geeky-looking boys. With a wink from Camryn, Sienna put her hand out but looked bored with the idea of dancing. Somehow the boy was unfazed. Apparently he didn't understand body language.

Sooner than Sienna had expected, a man cut in. "I'm sorry," he said. "Were you waiting for me?"

Instinct took over. "There you are," Sienna felt herself lying between her teeth. "Where have you been?"

The nerd, rejected, fled to a corner of the dance floor to claim another girl. In his stead, Sienna found herself hand-in-hand with the stranger, but couldn't help but smile.

"You have no idea what you just saved me from," she said.

The boy glanced back in the nerd's direction. "Trust me, I have some idea." He said.

Sienna took his word for it.

This guy was a much better dancer and talker, careful to watch her feet and gliding her into a comforting waltz.

_So this is why Lori wanted to know how to waltz_, Sienna realized. _Not to impress Prince Charming, but to be confident and careful. This is more fun than dancing with your father._

"Have you done this before?" he asked.

"Oh, once or twice," Sienna admitted.

He laughed. He thought she was kidding.

"So, you out trying to snag a prince, too?" he asked. Sienna was thoughtful for a second. "I hear he's one hell-of-a-guy."

"Not really," Sienna smiled. "I'm just in it for the fun."

"You're joking," he said.

"Nope," she said. "I had no intention of dancing with him whatsoever. Heck, I don't even know what the guy looks like."

The guy's eyebrow arched. "Really?"

"Yeah," Sienna laughed. "If I do meet him, it'll be awkward. I have no idea how to act in front of a prince. I figured it'd be best to keep my distance. Who knows what stupid thing I do?"

The boy nodded as if he understood. "True, true." He smiled as if he were comfortable with the turn this conversation had taken. "Wouldn't want to get thrown in prison for rambling on to His Highness, would you?"

Sienna laughed. "That would be horrible! He's not that type of guy, is he? I've never heard anything like that. I was thinking more along the lines of stepping on his feet."

The boy grinned. "_That's_ your biggest fear? Stepping on the poor guy's feet?"

"I told you," Sienna blushed. "I haven't done this too many times before."

"You're joking," he said again.

"I kid you not," she swooped under his arm in a graceful way and caught his arm in a hold. He twisted her back around and in too close for comfort. She blushed.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Too close for comfort," she admitted.

His grip loosened and she fell away, still in a bit of a grip, but more comfortable than before. Relaxing her grip, she looked around for Camryn. The girl was on sidelines, staring at her with both her hands over her mouth and terror-stricken eyes.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked.

Sienna's attention went back to his face. "Uh, yeah, sorry, I'm fine," she said quickly. "One of my friends was giving me the strangest look. I hope she's not mad I ditched the guy she set me up with."

"Who?" he asked.

"The blonde girl," Sienna said. "Over…"

She looked back again, but Camryn had disappeared.

"Huh. That's weird. She's gone."

That was when the cold hand touched the top of Sienna's hand. It peeled her off of the boy's shoulder. With a motion Sienna couldn't even see, she was off in the dance floor and big, blonde bob had moved into her place with lightning speed.

"Camryn?" the boy said in surprise.

"Prince Matthew," Camryn said, her voice heavy with an angry undertone and a conservative emotion that edged on a warning. The boy's eyes filled with shock. Slowly, he leaned around Camryn's shoulder and stared at Sienna. He smiled.

Sienna felt her heart drop to her shoes. So _that _was what the prince looked like. He was medium-height, neither muscled nor weak; with the most normal-looking brown hair she had ever seen and green, but not gorgeous, eyes. He was a boy. Just a boy.

But watching Camryn sweep in and steal him away, roughly pulling him along as if she owned him, their eyes locked in a way Sienna had never seen before, made her feel robbed.

_Too think_, she thought, _I was beginning to understand why finding an average guy rather than going on prince-hunt sounded kind of nice._


	6. Chapter 6

Time seemed to slow down. Sienna felt lost and alone on a huge stage, the spotlight directly above her head and the audience silent, waiting in amusement for her to do something. Numbly, she watched Camryn moved Matthew further and further away.

The irony of the situation hit her full-force.

_The one guy, _the voice in the back of her head taunted. _The one and only guy you've ever wanted ends up being the guy you said you had no interest in—and, like Camryn said, she snagged him without so much of a stutter. One, two, three—she had him in her iron grip, her ruffled dress sailing around her like a princess._

It wasn't fair. For once in her life, Sienna had forgotten everything bad that had happened to her.

But that was the thing about forgetting. Once you did, another bad thing crept around the corner to steal your little sliver of happiness away.

It was that final thought that broke Sienna's dam. When the first hot tear rolled down her cheek, she found she couldn't even blink it away. She let the fire ignite across her cheeks.

Someone began to laugh. "She thought she had a chance!"

Whoever they were with began to laugh as well. It was cruel, loud, and merciless. Before, the whispers had been quiet, pitiful stares. Now they were loud. A few girls smirked in her direction. The others just shook their heads, saying something about her dress, and then went back to their dates.

For Sienna, the evening was over.

Wiping at her eyes, she walked for the front door. A few people clapped as she exited, but were quickly hushed.

Out the door, Sienna began to move faster. She found the valet line. There were two of them—the one from before and an older one. As she approached, they turned around in surprise.

"Do you need your car, Ms. Carlton?" the one who had taken her car asked gently.

"Yes," she said.

A loud of sympathy went from the first valet to the second. The older one gave the younger one a slight nod, and, leaving Sienna and the first valet alone went off to find her car.

"Crappy night?" he asked.

Sienna tried to laugh. "Something like that."

The valet gave her a sad smile. "Trust me, mine's been just as nice."

Sienna tried to smile. It only made her cry harder, so she gave up. "I feel so stupid," she admitted. "How could I…"

She trailed off into tears. Both her hands went to her face, but the mascara made her hands come back black. She felt so hopeless. One night of fun was enough for the rest of her life!

What surprised her was the sudden boldness of the valet. He put a hand on her shoulder, gently putting both arms around her. It was a careful, almost nervous, hug. Almost as if he had no idea what to do around a woman.

"There, there," he said. "It's going to be okay."

Sienna laughed through her tears. "Is this the first time you've hugged a girl?"

His face went hot against the side of her head. "You can tell?"

"I live with three girls," said Sienna. "Girls are huggers."

His grip tightened, and then, slowly sank back. "Sorry," he couldn't meet her eyes. "I'm the youngest of a family of boys. My mother babied me, but hugging didn't really happen."

"Don't worry," Sienna said. "It's a learned skill. Practice makes perfect, as they say. You can learn it anytime."

The valet laughed. "Maybe we should go through all my childhood issues while we're at it, then."

Sienna shook her head. "I don't know…" but as she looked around his shoulder, she saw the older valet coming back with her car. "Oh, there it is!" she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

The valet parked it right along the curb and smiled at the two of them. "She stopped crying," he noted. "Good work, James. You're already turning into a respectable man."

The younger valet, James, blushed. "Shut up, Pedro."

"Hey, hey," Pedro, the older valet, waved him off. "We have a lady to send off here. Be presentable. You're stationed at the palace. Have some class, kid."

Sienna chuckled.

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" Pedro turned on her. "You're tainting him, my dear! Don't encourage his bad behavior!"

Stepping out of the car, he left the keys in the ignition and held the door open. James, with a bit of an overdramatic wave, motioned with his hands, "Your chariot awaits, Lady Carlton."

It made her feel so much better to see the car still in one piece, with just as much chipped paint and old gasoline smell as she had left it. Putting her hand on the hood, she slid in and smiled back at them.

"Thank you," was all she could say.

They flashed her big grins. "Just don't report us for being lunatics."

"Never," she promised.

"Have a nice night, Ms. Carlton," said James.

Sienna smiled. "You too."

She was about to put the car into drive when someone called out, "Wait!" Looking up from the palace road, she saw a crowd coming out of the grand doors.

At the head, believe it or not, was Prince Matthew. Trailing behind him, her heels in hand and her hair wild as she struggled to keep up, was Camryn. Her face was red with anger, and then, when she saw Sienna, wild with disbelief.

"You there! Sienna Carlton!" Prince Matthew called out to her. A feeling of dread passed over Sienna. Moving her hand to the ignition, she turned the car off. It wheezed as the engine died. Matthew came closer, grinning from ear to ear. "I managed to catch you! Thank goodness!"

Sienna's face flushed.

"I'm…sorry?" was all she managed.

"You were the joy of the night," Matthew went on. "Did you really think I'd let you go so easily?"

No words came to mind. Sienna found herself staring at him stupidly in disbelief. Those words hadn't come out of his mouth, her mind said. You fainted. All the crying or the sudden overdose on fun, maybe you really _are_ on PCP…

"Don't look so stupefied," he said. "I've never had a lady so confident as to say exactly what she felt to my face. Sure, you had no idea who I was, but…it was enjoyable all the same."

A tiny shred of hope peaked out from behind Sienna's shattered self-confidence. "But…I insulted you to your face. Instead of coming for the reason on the invitation, I…"

"The party wasn't my idea," he said. "In that manner, you did me a favor. You showed me a fun time when I was dreading the whole night. Which is why I wanted to ask you…may I see you again?"

Sienna's heart flipped. The moment would have made her life if not for the crowds of people behind him, the girls casting daggered eyes and Camryn clearly willing her to say no.

A spark of rebellion welled inside Sienna's chest. Staring at them, all filled with jealousy and resentment, whether she had the Prince or not, made her feel so infuriated with all of them.

"I'm sure that would be fine," she said.

The crowd gasped.

Matthew seemed overjoyed. Leaning into his car, he gave her a peck to the cheek and said, "I'll find out where you live and pick you up myself tomorrow night, that way there's no…" he glanced back at the crowd, "unwanted interruptions. It'll strictly be a concealed date, so…I'm sorry if this complicates things. This must be a lot to process right now."

"You have no idea," she said.

Staring into her eyes, he shook his head. "Trust me, I have some idea." His green eyes had a mischievous look to them. "Until tomorrow then, Sienna."

Sienna smiled. "Until tomorrow, Matthew."

As she put the car back into drive, she couldn't help but notice a change with James. Instead of looking happy and shy, he looked horrified and guilty. Sienna tried to smile in his direction, but he shook his head and turned back to Pedro.

You lose one friend, only to gain another, her mind said. That's what happened in the friendship cycle: out with the old and in with the new. Everybody changes.

And, to Sienna's satisfaction as she moved down the hill, Prince Matthew was definitely something quite new, and he made a pretty big change for one single night of fun.

Still, she couldn't help but think, _Am I really not on PCP_?

* * *

><p>Instead of going back to Linda's, Sienna decided she was better off at Grandma's. Walking in with a formal gown on while she had totally blown Lori off some hours before seemed like a good argument starter. She turned into the neighborhood, parked across the street from Grandma's, and walked inside.<p>

The house was dark and quiet. Gram always left the front door unlocked, so she made her way up the stairs and shed the gown for an old pair of pajamas. Hanging the navy blue gown back up, she couldn't help but smile at it.

"Thanks for coming through, Paris-magic," she muttered.

A voice from under the covers of her mother's old bed mumbled, "Shut up, asshat. If you're that hung over, try some sleep. It does wonders for the soul."

Sienna smiled at Paige's balled up shape. "How was your night?"

"The old lady had us play monopoly to try and get our minds off of you, and that was the most bullshitted thing I've ever seen. Either she suffers from dementia or she was higher than Lori on New Year's Eve."

Laughing internally, Sienna flopped down on the other side of the bed. "Believe it or not, she used to pull that on me, too. She acted like she had no idea what was going on, and then, when you tried to take advantage of her confusion…"

"The old lady stabbed you in the back with a knife." Paige finished.

Sienna nodded, "Sounds about right."

"So how was your night?" asked Paige.

"You know, ask me again in the morning."

Paige's head lifted off her pillow. "Why?"

"Because even I'm not sure I'm not wasted right now."


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the open windows. Heat rushed over Paige's skin, and next to Sienna, her eyelashes fluttered and then opened. For a few minutes, she lay in silence. Curiosity battled inside her for control, but finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay," Paige rolled over on top of her. "Time to tell me everything that happened. Start to finish. I tried to call Camryn, but the girl was locked tighter then a safe."

Sienna groaned. "That girl is your _friend_?"

Next to her, Paige was quiet. "You mean…you two didn't get along?"

"Of course not," Sienna said. "My one moment last night was interrupted by her. She embarrassed me to death. Next thing I know, I've got a pity-date with Prince Matthew."

"Oh, c'mon," Paige slapped her arm. "I'm sure it wasn't that ba—wait, say that again?"

Under the covers, Sienna's face went a deep shade of red. Bunching the covers up into her fists, she pulled it far over her head and lay face-down in her pillow.

No sooner was the cover over her head that it was snatched away, a cool breeze rushing from her neck down to her toes by the absence.

"I said, say that again?" Paige said, her tone demanding. "What the hell happened last night?"

Sighing, Sienna let her lips move while her brain tried to grasp what she was saying. It was muffled, having being said to a pillow, but Paige got some grasp of it, because by the end, she was up and squealing with delight. She pounded Sienna with her pillow.

"So you scored a second date with Prince Charming!" she cheered. "Wait until I tell Lori, or mom, or Gram—" her whole face lit up. "I'm going to go tell Gram!"

Sienna just stared at her in complete and utter shock.

A frown line appeared on Paige's forehead. "What? Do you not want me to tell her?"

"No, no…" Sienna sat up. "It's just…you called her 'Gram' rather then 'old lady.' It surprised me."

Paige got a smug look on her face. "Don't get the wrong idea, she's still an old lady," she said. "Now…she's just got a little more respect from me. That's why she's Gram."

Getting up, she bottled down the hall to Gram's room. Sienna waited, in silence, for the slam of the door behind her and then the loud, ear-piercing shrieks.

Ten seconds later, Gram swung the door open. By the bang it made, there was probably a good-sized hole in the wall. Her face was wild and pale, without her usual getup or beauty products, and the stony look in her eyes said it all: "Is it true?"

Sienna gave her a slight nod.

Slowly, she grinned. It was a big, stupid grin, one that the maniac serial killer gave his victims right before the final scene came.

"You," she sucked in a deep breath, "Prince. Together?"

Again, all Sienna could do was nod. This time, there was a hint of a smile and a refreshed blush, but she smiled.

Gram shrieked. "My baby girl—and the Prince—are going on a date! Lordy, Lord, Lord, He is watching us!"

Paige was right behind her. "What time is he coming?"

Sienna opened her mouth, but to her surprise, she had no idea. "Um…he didn't say. His exact words were 'until tomorrow' and I guess I followed suit."

Both Gram and Paige groaned. "So…we have to make you perfect and keep you perfect all day?"

"Just let me go natural," Sienna said. "That way, if he has an preset expectations from last night's party, he'll understand that's not an everyday thing."

They simply stared at her.

"Holy hell," was the first thing Paige could say.

Gram's was, "Is she kidding?"

"I don't think so," Paige answered, not even looking at Gram. "It's unfair, isn't it? The one most modest, plain girl in the world gets handed a private date with the Prince Charming of our era, and you know what she says? 'I'll go natural, just to show him this is it. He can have any woman on earth he wants, but I'm offering him me…like this.' It's cruel and unusual, isn't it?"

For the second time in twenty-four hours, Sienna felt her self-confidence sinking lower then it had in a long time. Shuffling uncomfortably, she got up and started making the bed.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Gram pulled her away. "You clean when you get nervous. If you let your nerves fry, you'll be a wreck by tonight. I'll side with you for now, you can go in your normal clothes, but God help us, Sienna, let us at least put a little pink on your lips."

As if on cue, Paige held up a tube of lip gloss. "Cherry or watermelon flavored?"

"You're joking," whispered Sienna.

Paige leaned forward, draping an arm around her shoulder. "You know us too well, Sienna, we never kid."

_God help me,_ was all she could think.

* * *

><p>After hours of sitting and staring at nothing, the doorbell rang. Thinking she would look to eager if she went to answer it, Sienna was ushered upstairs by Gram, who, as soon as she turned away from Sienna, promptly barked at Paige to hurry up and get the door.<p>

For once, Paige didn't argue.

"Hello?" Sienna heard her from the stairs.

"I'm here to see Sienna," it was Matt's voice. "Is she home?"

"Why, yes," Paige said dramatically. "How on Earth did you find this address? Little Sienna just moved in with us yesterday."

"Camryn," was Matt's answer.

Upstairs, Sienna's stomach twisted into knots.

"Have you seen her lately?" Paige asked. "She won't return any of my calls, which is unusual since I'm her only friend these days."

Matt coughed. "She's hanging around."

Suspicious tension filled the hallway. "Is that so?" was Paige's answer. "Did she and Lee get in a fight?"

"No, actually," Matt's tone lightened. "It was me. She and I got into it pretty heated last night, but Lee took her side. The guy's blinded by love. I envy him."

_Does Camryn have a boyfriend? One of Matt's friends, who is dating her though Matt doesn't approve? _Sienna wondered.

"Take care of Sienna," Paige said.

"I will."

Paige's footsteps were heard across the wood. "Sienna!" she called. "Are you up there? There's someone here to see you!"

Swallowing hard, Sienna put one foot in front of the other and started down the hall. She prayed her feet wouldn't betray her. Clinging to the rail, she let the heeled shoes go heel-toe, heel-toe against the stairs so she wouldn't catch them on her jeans.

"Who is it?" she called innocently.

Paige pretended to slap her forehead. "I didn't even ask!" She thundered back down the hall towards the door. "I'm sorry, but I can't let her see you without a name. She has people calling _all_—_the_—_time_ you know. I wouldn't want to let any bad apples in."

"Tell her it's Matthew," he said. "Or…just call me Matt."

"He says his name is Matt," Paige called back.

By now, Sienna had reached the end of the stairs. "I heard him," she said. She was in sight of the door. "Sorry, I was helping Gram."

_More like Gram was helping me, _she said, feeling a tube of lipstick burning a hole in her back pocket. _What is that old woman thinking, slipping something like that into my pocket when I'm not looking?_

"Can I help you?" she batted her eyes innocently.

"I thought we were on for me escorting on you on a walk through the park," he said.

Once again, he was pretty normal. Black trench coat over jeans with normal hair. Nothing that screamed Prince Charming.

"Ready?" he extended a hand. "I know it's pretty ordinary, but…"

"Ordinary?" Sienna repeated. "I thought it sounded lovely."

Somehow, her sincerity got to him. Smiling, they locked fingers and he led the way. From behind, Paige ran down the steps after them, and cupping her hands around her mouth, yelled,

"Make sure to play safe, OKAY?"

Sienna could feel her blushing face all the way down the street.

* * *

><p>Matt led her all around town. No one seemed to glance their way twice—they were perfectly normal and perfectly natural. On occasion, they'd stop at some view or Matt would make some remark, but that was it. It was just a walk.<p>

"Well? How are you holding up?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He examined her closely. "I'm abusing you, aren't I? Let's stop some place and eat."

Without waiting for her answer, he weaved her through the crowds to a small sit-down café on the side of town. Sitting her down, he went up to the register and purchased them both coffees.

"Want something warm?" he asked, waving it in front of her fair. Chocolate smells sent her mouth watering. Snatching it out of his hands, she took a lengthy, delicious sip. "This place has the best lattes this side of town. I come here all the time."

"I didn't think you got out much," she said.

"I don't come alone," he said, sitting down across from her.

Suddenly, something startled Sienna. Looking at Matt, she noticed his right ear was pierced. In the back of her mind, something clicked. A long time ago, Lori had said something about boys with the right ears pierced. Something very strange….

Pushing it out of her mind, she swore she'd ask Lori about it later.

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><p><strong>PLEASE REVIEW! :D<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry it's been so long! Stuff came up, I lost my outline sheet, and then, my keyboard broke! I'm followed by terrible luck!**

* * *

><p>"It's in the <em>right <em>ear? You've sure about this?"

Tangling the cord in her fingers, Sienna took the phone, checked the hallway for Gram or Paige, and ducked into the hall closet. If they heard this, she'd feel humiliated.

"Yes, it was his right ear. I double-checked. Why is this important?" Sienna asked. "It's probably just there to help him blend in."

Lori groaned. "It's like talking to a little kid!"

"Just tell me what it means," she said.

"You know I work the party circuit, right?" Lori asked.

"So _that's_ where you've been, Lori? Here I thought you were studying all this time!" Sienna wasn't gentle with the sarcasm. "_Yes_, Lori, I'm well aware of your…_activities_ on the party circuit."

"Yeah, yeah, all my nights on the corner and the money I make at parties. I've heard the jokes once; I've heard them a thousand times during my high school years. I'm a tramp. A slut. I get it. Now, please, focus, will you, Princess Bitch?"

Sienna caved. This wasn't going anywhere. She needed Lori's insight, even if they weren't on the best terms.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"There's a lot of…_different_ kinds of people on the circuit. People who are usually quiet about their dirty little secrets tend to come out with them, because nobody cares."

"What kind of different people?" Sienna asked, genuinely interested.

"Like…_gay_ people," Lori said. "I know it isn't such a big thing around here, but that's just how some people are. They aren't weird, wrong, or bad—they just don't get the same treatment sometimes, so they play it low."

Sienna was growing impatient, "So what does this earring have to do with gay people?"

Lori coughed uncomfortably. "I can't believe I'm telling you this," she muttered. "Well…uh, the right-ear pierced…on a boy…_usually_ means…he's gay."

Sienna was quiet. Her mind had to ease into what Lori had just said. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. How did she answer that? Just because Matt had his ear pierced didn't make him gay! He had asked her out, too! Wasn't that proof of him being straight? She bit her lip.

"You're joking."

"How well do you know Prince Charming?" Lori asked. "Does he seem like somebody with a skeleton in his closet?"

"If he was—_gay_—why would he hide it?" Sienna demanded.

"You're the smart one, aren't you, Sienna? He's a political figure." Lori sounded bored. "People sometimes don't take too kindly to the gays. If the allies found out, they might make a big deal out of it. But then again, what do I know? What if he's just a guy, being a guy? He got the piercing and didn't know what it symbolized."

Sienna sighed in relief. "You're right. There's no reason to overreact."

Lori's interest kicked in again. "You sound worried, Princess Bitch. When are you two seeing each other again?"

"Tomorrow, he's picking me up after work," she said. "He's taking me to the castle gardens for lunch. I'm going to meet his little brother, Leonardo."

"I see," Lori was preoccupied with something. Without seeing her, Sienna knew she was over thinking the Prince's motives. "You know how to behave, right? Use your manners, speak kindly, and don't bring up your money or family situation. That tends to freak guys out, trust me."

"Lori…" Sienna felt her heart sink. Before she lost all her courage, she said, "I'm sorry I didn't teach you how to waltz. I know what you think of me, being snotty and prideful, but…I do feel like I betrayed you somewhat. You deserved to be at that party more than I did."

"No." Lori's response was immediate. Sienna nearly dropped the phone; her sudden tone change startled her so much. "You did well, Prin—_Sienna_. I talked to Paige. She sounds better. A lot better than before, that's for sure. She used complete sentences for once, no slang. I was proud of her."

There was a sniff from the other end of the line. Guilt flooded over Sienna. Neither Paige nor Sienna had gone home in at least a week. On what was the other end of the world, Lori was trapped on her own little isolated island with her mother.

"Is she getting worse?" Sienna asked.

Lori knew what she meant.

"Try to smile," Lori said firmly. "Smiling brings you your best features, shithead."

Translation: _forget about me and don't come home._

"There's always a place for you here, Lori."

"Not for me," Lori said sadly. "Your grandma can't save us all, Sen. Just like you're daddy couldn't save your mommy _or _mine."

The line went dead. For a few moments, Sienna just stared at the phone. How could Lori just hang up like that? Wiping at her eyes with her sleeve, she opened the door to the closet and walked back into Gram's kitchen.

Once again, the older woman stared out the window at her birdfeeders, the mug in hand, with the smell of bitter tea wafting throughout the kitchen. Sienna's nose wrinkled in disgust, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she put the phone back on the rack and picked up her keys.

"She's right," Gram said.

Sienna was startled by her voice.

"Who's right?" Sienna asked.

"Larissa," she said.

_Oh_. So much for the closet.

"What we have here, it wasn't meant for two kids as well as an old, retired lady," Gram went on. "Sooner or later, we won't have anything left. Start now, Sienna, while you still have things to fight for. Even if I want to, more than anything in the world, I can't protect you forever."

Sienna looked down at her apron. "Maybe I can convince Frank to give Paige a job. That way we both will have one. Money will start coming back in."

"No fifteen year old girl should have to pay her room and board," Gram stated. "The same goes for a young lady like you. Ahead of you, my dear, are a family life and a career. What is it you want for that?"

"I want to become a baker, like Frank," she said.

Gram glanced at her from the corner of her eye and then back to the flock of beautiful red cardinals on her porch, seated in a graceful row.

"Better get a move on, then."

* * *

><p><strong>MY BEAUTIFUL READERS!<strong>

**I'm so sorry about my lateness. Fanfiction is being, let's say, A GIGANTIC BITCH. I don't know why, but it's just me! I'll do what I can, I think it's fixed, but I don't know. Hopefully!**


	9. Chapter 9

Gram drove Sienna to work the next day so she wouldn't be leaving her car unattended in the back of Frank's parking lot. When she was getting out of the car, Gram made a noise like she was going to say something, but stopped herself. Sienna didn't know how to respond. After yesterday, she felt further away from her grandmother then she had felt in a long time.

"Thank you for the ride," she said.

Gram frowned. "It was the least I could do."

"I should be back around dinnertime," Sienna said.

"Will he be with you?" she asked.

Sienna stalled for a moment. Would he come? Obviously, Paige and Matt knew each other. They were also both friendly with Camryn. Did they all work the party circuit? As Gram asked this, Sienna realized there was so much about Matt she didn't know.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Should I ask?"

Gram's lips pinched together and said, "If you must."

Sienna slammed the door shut and walked into Frank's bakery without even looking back.

_The stupid ball was her idea! _Sienna fumed. _Now I've achieved something we thought unthinkable, and she lashes out at me? I don't know where this will lead, but I have to see it through even if it ends. Matt hasn't promised me anything and I don't feeling anything much more then friendship in this point in time. Maybe that's all Matt wants—a friend. I'm not doing anything wrong. Matt's a good person. What's eating her up? _

Shaking her head, Sienna addressed the customers in the cashier line. The first one was an elderly lady dressed in fine, lacey clothing. When Sienna stepped forward to serve her, the woman's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell slack.

"Y…you're the Prince's girlfriend!" the woman shouted. "I'm being waited on by the Prince's girlfriend!"

The whole shop turned to stare. Yes, word had passed around—all of them knew of the Prince's chance encounter with the plain, brown-haired girl in the skintight dress.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Sienna addressed the woman as if she hadn't spoken. "I'm running a business here—order something or get out."

The woman's face paled and then reddened in anger. "I am a paying customer! You have no right to—"

"She has every right," spoke up Frank from behind Sienna. "She's also correct. This is a place of business, ma'am. Either take care of your business or get out. It's that simple."

The woman opened her mouth to speak, reconsidered, fluffed up her lacey shawl, and stormed out. The rest of the shop filed into line. Not one said anything to Sienna other than their orders. Still, Frank remained behind her, making sure none of them dared breathe a word. This went on until break time. Sienna threw down her apron, charged through the back door, threw herself down on the ground, and wept.

"Hey, hey, hey," Frank closed the door behind him and kneeled down beside her. "What's this about? I've never seen you snap at a customer before. Things messy at home again?"

"I'm not even _living_ at home, Frank!" she wailed. "Paige and I moved in with Gram, Lori's suddenly giving me advice, a guy way out of my league—emphasis on _way_—asked me out, and my gram is giving a whole bunch of shit _I don't deserve_!"

For a few moments, Frank just let her cry it out. Her tears are short-lived and soon, the whole experience is over. Mature-thinking, kind-hearted, normal Sienna was back.

"I was so mean to that lady," she whispered.

Frank laughed. "You're still thinking about that lady? That lady got what she deserved—big old fart, she was. You could tell by the way her ugly face pinched up. There's not a doubt in my mind she hasn't lived half the life you have. Rich folks, they just don't understand; our lives are hardships and struggles, but that don't make us any less of people. If anything, it makes us even more human. Life is supposed to be a struggle. Without the challenges, how would we become the people we are?"

Even as he said it, attempting to help, Sienna's mind flooded back to her childhood and the night she banged against the bathroom door until her fists bled. Challenges created who we are—so what if we couldn't overcome them? Who did we become?

Sienna thought of Lori once again. Had Lori and Paige gone down a similar path? Did Sienna put too much faith in Lori, thinking, that if she wanted to, Lori could just stop whenever she wanted? Sienna realized she didn't know if Lori _could_ stop anymore. She was lost in a hopeless, endless cycle.

"I thought I was making all the right choices, but everyone keeps treating me like I'm making all the wrong ones."

Frank made a sound that sounded strangely like, "_Oooooooooooooh_" and sat down beside her. His arm looped around her shoulders. For once, Sienna felt comforted.

"Look," he said, drawing her attention to his face. "When I was eighteen, I took off. I left my mom, pop, and brothers behind. To them, I was some crazy fuckup. To be honest, I thought I was a fuckup, too. All I wanted to do was bake. So I came here. I worked for the previous owner. When he died, his son didn't want his father's business—so he gave it to me. Twenty-four years old, owner of my own business, working with an awesome staff like you and doing what I love—I regret nothing. In the beginning, I had no idea what I wanted. Life is crazy like that. Things fall into place later. For now, just live. Never look back."

He leaned into her face, wiping away her tears.

"You hear me, Sienna Carlton? Don't ever look back and regret what you've done, because one day, you'll be glad you did it."

The tears began to flow faster. Leaning in, she felt Frank cradle her against his chest. They stayed out there long past their lunch time and on. Pretty soon, there was a series of angry knocks at the door.

"That will be your prince, won't it?" Frank muttered into her hair.

Sienna sat up and sighed, "Probably."

"See it through to the end," Frank encouraged. "And I don't mean doing anything that isn't you—I mean, whatever you decide, follow it through _your_ way."

Hugging him, Sienna whispered, "Thank you."

"No," Frank sniffed. "Thank you." Then he pushed her away. His face was more controlled now. "Go on, he's waiting on you."

Sienna checked her white t-shirt and blue jean skirt for dirt, dusted herself off, and combed through her hair with her hands.

"Wish me luck," she said, opening the door.

As it closed behind her, she barely missed him whispering, "Good luck, Sienna…" and then hugging his knees to his chest, wondering why he had been quiet so long. She was gone now, he thought. There was no need to wonder about her anymore…but still, it hurt so bad…


	10. Chapter 10

Matt was waiting at the door. Sienna unlocked the door, managed a smile, and let herself out.

"Sorry, I was talking things over with my boss," she said. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth, either, depending on how someone might look at it. For once, Sienna didn't care. She was still mixed up on the inside, and even more confused, but at least she wasn't lashing out. "Did you wait long?"

"Not too long," he said with a smile that bordered on glamorous. For a moment, Sienna saw someone different then the boring boy she'd seen before. "You ready to go?"

"Yes," she said, taking his hand. There was no heat as she took his hand. Not even her nerves could hold her back. What she felt toward Matt was nothing but friendly, no matter his situation. She began to wonder if she'd ever develop feelings for him or if this was doomed from the start.

Brushing it aside, she let him lead her to his car. It was a black limo.

_Well, _she thought, _so much for acting casual. I guess we've hit that point where everyone knows who I am and that we're doing things together, so why bother hiding anymore?_

It was a casual thought as he helped her in and then got in and sat beside her, rejoining their hands.

They picked up idle conversation, but Sienna found her eyes drawn toward his ear.

The earring was gone now. Still, Sienna could remember it clearly, as if it were still there. Why did it bother her? If Matt was gay, why was he still here, picking her up? It didn't make any sense.

Shaking her head, she cleared her mind of all thoughts and let her mind be absorbed by Matt's small talk.

As they arrived at the palace, Sienna let one more thought cross her mind before she remembered where she was and with whom.

_Why did Frank thank me? He did so much for me, not just today, but from every day since I started working for him. I really admire him. He's got a story, too, and he makes a lot of people smile. I want to be like him._

Taking Matt's arm, she looked him in the eyes and asked, "Have you ever been to that bakery before?"

"The one where you work, you mean?" Matt asked in surprise.

Sienna nodded.

"Once or twice," he mumbled.

"Next time you go, try the pies," she said. "Frank makes them fresh every day. They're his big sellers."

"Oh," Matt said, clearly surprised by the turn in conversation. "Should we have brought one with us…?"

"Next time," Sienna said, taking his arm. "It'll make Frank's day, I think, seeing his work being enjoyed by royalty. His business has progressed so much over the last few years."

Matt gave her a smile, but it was confusing. It made her insides stir uncomfortably.

"What?" she asked.

"How can you do that?" he asked, amazed. "One moment, I think I've figured you out. You're a funny, witty, intelligent girl who managed to casually slip into my life, and yet, you're kind and considerate. How can you be so many things and still be who you are?"

Sienna was startled by his sudden forwardness. Hanging her head, she tried to hide her blush.

"I'm not anybody special," she said.

"How can you say that?" he asked. "I wish everyone was like you. Since I met you, I've never heard you complain or speak ill of anyone. True, you haven't confided in me a lot, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to _know_."

"Know what?" she asked.

"How you _do_ it," he said. "At the ball, when we go out, when Camryn stepped in: not once did you show weakness. How do you get that strong?"

He was wrong. Everything he saw was wrong. Sienna stood, frozen, wondering how she could make him see.

"I'm not strong," she said. "If anything, I'm weak. There's so much I want to do, but so little I can do. I want to make people happy, but I don't do it to please them, I do it so I'm happy, too. When somebody smiles because of something I did for them, when they feel relieved or unafraid or safe, it makes me feel like I accomplished something. I don't want to abandon anyone."

_I don't want anyone to be abandoned by me the way she abandoned me._

"Why?" he asked, as if reading her mind.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, taking up his arm again. "If I don't try, I've already failed."

Matt laughed and led her up the stone steps into the palace. They walked through the foyer and into the back toward the stone patio. Several maids were scurrying about, but Matt paid them no mind. He was more interested in the person waiting at the end of the hall, standing in front of the double doors that led out to the patio.

"James," Matt exhaled sharply.

"Lord Matthew," James said, bowing.

"Is there something you need?" Matt asked. His tone was annoyed. "I'm kind of busy."

"Pedro sent me to tell you your brother has arrived."

Matt's face fell. "Oh…I apologize."

"It's not your fault, your majesty," James's words did not match his tone. He was clearly just as bitter as Matt had been annoyed. "Do you wish me to return to Pedro?"

"No, no," Matt waved him off. "I'll join Leonardo and Pedro. Will you escort Sienna into the gardens?"

Blush crossed Sienna's face. The last time she had seen James, back in the valet lane during the ball, he had been giving her a look of disapproval. Was it alright to ask this of him?

"Of course, sire," James said.

This, at least, wasn't bitter.

"Thank you," Matt sighed in relief and turned to Sienna. "I'm going to go meet Leonardo at the other side of the palace. Is it alright if I entrust you to James?"

Sienna mustered a shy smile. "Of course, I trust James with my life."

Matt blinked. "You do?"

"Of course I do," she released Matt's arm and took James's waiting arm. "He took great care of my baby the night of the ball. He's okay in my book."

James's face brightened slightly. "There you have it, sire—she'll be safe with me."

Something passed between them, an unknown conversation that barely lasted a few seconds. Chills rushed up Sienna's arms. Holding James's arm tighter, she tried not to look startled.

"I'll see you in a few."

"Take your time," James said. "He is your brother, after all."

Matt let out a snort and turned to walk down the opposite hall.

"Are you two not friends?" Sienna asked.

"It's complicated," James said sharply.

"Oh," Sienna lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

James turned and saw her expression. "Um…sorry; I didn't mean to be so aggressive. It's just…that guy…" he sighed angrily. "That guy and I…as I said, it's complicated. Now…" he pulled her along by the arm. This, too, seemed to be an unknown to him. "Shall we make our way to the gardens, Ms. Carlton?"

"Sienna," she clarified, smiling. "My name is Sienna."

"I know, Ms. Carlton," he said, leading the way outside and down the steps. "It's just, I'm the help and you're…"

"I don't care," she said. "I don't come from nobility or royalty. If anything, your position here is higher than mine outside. To me, you're James—so I should be just Sienna to you."

James let out a small laugh as they reached the end of the staircase. "You know, you're not going to fit in here at all."

It was like Frank was right there, speaking to her: _Don't ever look back and regret what you've done, because one day, you'll be glad you did it…_

"I don't need to fit in," she said. "No regrets, right?"

James smiled. "That's right, Sienna: no regrets."

They reach the wonderfully decorate table on a stone patio surrounded by the endless gardens. Somehow had covered it with a white table cloth and then covered it in plastic flowers and butterflies. It was like they had taken a piece of the flowery paradise around them and put it in the center.

"It's so beautiful," she said.

"Hard work from the gardeners," James said. "This garden is their daily challenge. From dawn till dusk, they tend to it."

"Tell them their work has paid off."

James laughed. "Don't worry; they hear it at least once a day from the Queen. She's a big fan, too."

"James…"

Sienna was about to ask a question about the Queen when Matt swooped in, grabbing her by the arm.

"Back," he grinned.

Sienna laughed. "There you are."

She and James separated and Sienna turned around and spotted Leonardo, Matthew's brother. He was a year or two younger, with the same shaggy brown hair as Matt that fell over his identical green eyes.

"Lee, this is Sienna," Matt said, putting his arm around Sienna's waist. "Sienna, this is my little brother, Leonardo."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Leonardo," she said, extending her hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Sienna," he said, smiling brightly. "I hear they have a nice tea time set up for us. Shall we take our seats and let the embarrassing stories about Matthew start?"

James, very quietly, was making his way up the stairs to the palace.

"I would love that," Sienna said.

As they took their seats, Sienna couldn't help but think: _isn't it a little too early for this? I hardly know Matt…to hear these things about him from someone he cares about…_

She tried not to let her nerves show. Sitting with her back straight, poised, she drank as quietly as she could and avoided sugary sweets. After working at the bakery for so long, it was easy to resist the temptation and take only fruits. At the end of the table, Leonardo was breaking into the chocolate cake. Matt, on the other hand, was poking at an enormous pear as if he had other things on his mind then the mindless conversation he was keeping up with Leonardo. Most of it was politics, but occasionally, Leonardo would ask her opinion. Sienna always gave an honest one, but she knew very little about politics. Sensing this, Leonardo changed the subject.

"So…Mom and Dad's ball idea…was it a success?" Leonardo asked. "Have you found your girl?"

Sienna nearly choked on the orange slice she had been eating. Across the table, Matt spat out a piece of pear and looked rather appalled at Leonardo.

"_That_ was subtle, wasn't it, Lee?" Matt said, coughing between breaths. "What makes you jump from politics to that?"

"Who says this isn't politics?" Leonardo asked, narrowing his eyes. "If she's going to be your girlfriend, major changes might be made. Mom and Dad will be thrilled, of course, but—"

"Lee, aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" Matt screeched.

They were the same words Sienna was thinking, but obviously, to Leonardo, they weren't the right ones.

"So what…you're only fooling around? Aren't you the gentlemen, Matthew? Sienna looks like a sweet, well-mannered girl. I hope you aren't being a pig."

"Leonardo, that's not…" Sienna felt her throat choking up on her words. What was Leonardo thinking? Matt wasn't… "We're…taking things slow. There's nothing inappropriate. We met by accident. It's hard to say we're in an actual relationship. Right now, the most I would say is that we're friends."

Matt sighed in relief.

"Really?" Leonardo looked from her to Matt. "So she has no idea you're about to take the throne and that, once that news hits headlines, she'll be our mostly likely candidate for Queen?"

Sienna's jaw dropped. "_WHAT_?"

It came out harsher then she had expected, but Sienna didn't regret it. Yes, she had agreed to go on a few dates with Matt. Did she agree to be future Queen? No way in hell!

"Look, Leonardo…and Matthew…" she stood up. "I didn't…there is no way I can…"

"Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself," Leonardo shook his head. "You still have plenty of time to decide. If I were you, I'd think long and hard. Matt doesn't take the throne for a few years yet. Two or three, sooner then you may think."

Two or three years and Matt would be king. By then, he would be expected to have a princess: someone who would be fit to rule beside him as his queen.

_Am I that girl?_

Suddenly, her future felt so far in front of her. She couldn't see where anything might lead.

"Let's go for a walk, Sienna," Leonardo said.

"Lee…" Matt warned.

"This is serious!" Leonardo snapped, getting up. He pulled up Sienna gently by her hand. "We will only be a few minutes."

Matt gave her a slight, reassuring nod and said, "Very well."

Sienna felt her stomach fall to the floor. What could Leonardo tell her? Would he tell her to go away, to leave if she didn't want the position? That's what Sienna felt like doing—running far, far away and forgetting she had ever agreed to go on a date with Prince Charming.

Leonardo led her past the flowery garden and into a patch of hedges. In the center, there was an enormous fountain with beautiful angel children statues dancing through it. They shined gold in the falling sunlight.

"I'm sorry I did that to you," he said. When Sienna didn't respond, he went on. "The truth is I'm worried about Matt. When I heard he actually had a girl…" He froze, rethinking his words. "I'm so happy for him. I've known the girl I want to be with all my life, but he has never found what I have. He's been beaten, played, and betrayed by girls for a while. His responsibilities are different now. The fate of the kingdom is on him. I know you may want to walk out on him now, having this huge bomb dropped on you, but _please_…just stay a little longer. Give him faith in finding the right girl again, and then you can leave. He needs to know someone like you exists."

"So…if I leave him now, he'll be crushed again?" she asked softly.

"It's something like that."

Sienna stepped forward, releasing Leonardo's hand, and put her hands in the fountain.

"Isn't that lying to him?" she asked.

"Just being his friend, like you said before." Leonardo clarified, watching her take off her shoes and step into the fountain. "You're a change for him, that's for sure. He may or may not love you, but if you show him respect and what a relationship is like…he might stop picking the wrong kind of girls and find the right one."

Sienna felt so torn. Somehow, Leonardo had burdened her even more than before. Even if she wasn't the next queen, she had the responsibility of teaching Matt what the next one should be like. Wasn't that too much?

"If you leave him now, Matthew will think he's the one who is at fault and can never be loved."

Guilt flooded over Sienna. Matt was just as broken as Linda, Lori, or Paige. They had not been loved properly, or were without love, and they blamed themselves.

"I can help," she said. It was true, she realized. Even if she didn't love him, she could help him realize who he was and how much he was worth. Paige had found herself, too. "I won't be queen, but…I know I can help him find who he is again."

Leonardo gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Please don't tell him," she said. "I don't want him to think I only stayed because he was broken."

"I promise," Leonardo took her hand and guided her out of the fountain. His eyes misted over and a tear fell.

"Now, that's not right," Sienna said softly, wiping the tear away. "He's a strong one, your brother. He will definitely be alright."

"No, no, I was crying for you!" Leonardo shook his head. "I can't believe I'm making you do this…so much self-sacrifice…it can be hard on the heart."

"When you do it for the right reasons, it doesn't matter," Sienna assured him, drying her feet in the grass and slipping her shoes back on. "My mother suffered a tragic accident shortly after I was born. My brother was killed in the accident. For years, my mother blamed herself. She lost her way. One night, she just…ended it. She felt she had cast her depression over my father and I and it was too much."

Leonardo held her hand, frozen. His eyes showed he was in complete and total shock.

"And your father…?"

"He died a few years later, after marrying my stepmother, who turned to drinking after he died."

"How are you now?" he asked.

She looked him right in the eyes. There was no fear. He was looking at her with pity, but she did not accept it.

"If I had let all that drag me down, would I be standing here?"

He laughed and took her hand. "No," he admitted. "I guess not. Shall we return to the patio, Sienna?"

She gave him a small nod and he led the way out of the maze and back into the flower gardens. They turned the corner and found the table as they had left it except for one extra inhabitant.

Camryn, wearing a short navy dress, was leaning over Matt's shoulder, whispering in his ear. Matt looked amused. Camryn was not. Anger flooded over Sienna. She had still not forgiven Camryn for her stunt at the ball.

When they saw Leonardo and Sienna returning, Camryn stood up and approached them. Sienna was about to say something when Camryn swept past her and gave Leonardo a peck on the cheek.

Leonardo's hand slipped from Sienna's and he swept an arm around Camryn's waist. It was a familiar action for her and she leaned into his shoulder, accepting a kiss on the lips.

Leonardo said he had known the girl he wanted to be with all his life. Camryn had said she could get a prince any day of the week. For Sienna, it all clicked:

The reason they were both so confident was because Leonardo had found his princess and Camryn had found her prince a long time ago.

So why had Camryn cut in on Sienna the night of the ball?

"Sorry I'm so late," Camryn whispered. "I can't believe I missed tea. Luckily, I was able to meet Sienna before the ball so I didn't miss out."

"You know Sienna?" Leonardo said in surprise.

Camryn blushed. "Yes, I'm familiar with her sister, Paige. We're…friends…"

Obviously, something uncomfortable passed between them and Camryn put her face in Leonardo's neck.

"The party circuit again?" Leonardo whispered.

"She's a good kid," Camryn said. "I promise."

"She hasn't been on the circuit since I set her up at Gram's, has she?" Sienna asked.

"No, she's quit for a while, after her nasty run-in. She was lucky you were there. I was…" Camryn flinched, not looking up at Leonardo. "I was occupied elsewhere."

Matt rose from the table and took Sienna's hand.

"Well, I'd better take Sienna home."

"Of course," Leonardo shook Sienna's hand one last time and gave Camryn a kiss to the forehead. "If you ever need anything, Sienna, you know where to find Camryn and I."

Camryn managed to find a small, sincere smile.

"Thank you," she said. "It was a lovely afternoon. Thank you for inviting me out."

"It was actually all set up by Matthew," Camryn chimed in. "We were both busy, but he begged us to come. You two take care."

Sienna tried not to look surprised as Matt led her away. Once they were up the stairs, he turned to her.

"That friend you mentioned the day of the ball…that friend was Camryn, wasn't it?" he asked.

Sienna nodded. "Does Leonardo not like her on the party circuit?"

"He thinks she should get it all out before they announce their engagement, but I think he's being stupid. Camryn could get into a mess of trouble on that circuit. She mentioned a nasty incident with your sister. What happened?"

Sienna remembered how casually Paige had spoken to Matt, as if they were old friends. Her mind took over defense.

"Nothing," she said. "It was just a little misunderstanding."

"Paige getting into trouble again?" he asked.

"How do you know Paige?" she asked.

He backtracked, realizing what he had said.

"Okay…I guess there's no better time to mention this…" he sighed, stiffened, and said, "I worked the circuit, too, once upon a time. I was a mess. I got into a load of trouble. My parents were furious. Paige and Camryn bailed me out. Now, tell me, what happened with Paige?"

"Some slimy guy got a little too…_intimate_ with her," Sienna said. "Paige is a tough girl; she fought him off and called me."

"That's not _nothing_, Sienna. That's a big something. What if it had been Camryn and not Paige?"

"Paige is just as important as Camryn!" Sienna said, pushing him away. They halted in the foyer. "Paige is a fifteen-year-old girl who got into something that is way ahead of her years! What if she had gotten hurt?"

Matt looked like she had just swung a punch at him.

"I didn't…"

"No, you didn't," Sienna calmed her voice and thought of Frank again: _Rich folks, they just don't understand; our lives are hardships and struggles, but that don't make us any less of people…_

"I'm sorry."

"Me, too," Sienna said. "You were right, if it had been Camryn, she would have been in trouble, too."

"And it was terrible that it was Paige. I'm sorry I said anything otherwise. In fact, if I knew who the shithead who did it to her was, I'd give him such a…"

Sienna felt the laughter out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Sorry, sorry," she muttered, trying to control her laughter as his expression went from anger to surprise. "I just…I can't imagine…"

Matt laughed, too. "I think we just had our first fight and it ended in you giggling at me sticking up for your honor."

"Not my honor," she corrected him with a peck on the cheek. "Paige's—but that doesn't make it any less important. I think Paige admires you."

Matt slid his hand into hers. "Come on," he ushered her toward the door. "Let's get you home."


	11. Chapter 11

Life started to settle down again for Sienna Carlton.

Paige and Sienna had moved in with Gram, but Sienna was now using her money from her job at the bakery to help pay bills. For the most part, Gram had gotten off her back. Paige had offered to work at Frank's, too, but the moment she offered, Frank gave Sienna a huge bonus she couldn't make him take back from her. It seemed wrong to receive this much money from him as just an employee, especially with Sienna having no way to pay him back for it. When he wouldn't take it back, Sienna committed her time and effort to working for it.

On the other hand, Sienna hadn't heard from Lori in a long, long while. She called every night, but no one answered. Not even their drunken mother answered the phone. As time passed at Gram's house, Paige seemed to forget she had family elsewhere, but when she realized Lori had stopped communicating with Sienna completely, there was no doubt in Sienna's mind she would panic. Still, fear kept Sienna away from the house she had once shared with her family. She refused to go there, to check on Lori, to see if anything had changed. In her heart, she knew it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

Things with Matt had also calmed down. He was as mysterious a guy could be. Sienna received a lot of late-night calls, either short-notice or very scheduled dates, and a lot of public appearances from Matt. He usually came around when she was working, around lunchtime, and always had a few reporters in tow. Sienna was used to be spotted and pointed out and Frank's bakery was getting a lot of attention for it, good and bad.

"I can't believe they're behaving like this, Frank," she groaned. Frank was standing at the door, hollering at a bunch of children running off with cameras in their hands. They had been sneaking in, one at a time, to try and get pictures of Sienna for newspaper articles. "This is so…ridiculous!"

"That's the price of fame, Ms. Carlton," Frank said, mimicking the voice a reporter had used once when he had attempted to interview her while she was ringing him up for a coffee, and only a coffee, in the bakery. Long story short, the reporter had gotten a loaf of bread to the butt.

"I can't take this anymore! I don't know what to do…" she sighed and leaned against the counter.

"Well, what does Prince Charming say when you talk about this with him?" Frank asked. "You promised me you were going to have a talk with him."

"And I did, but he didn't seem concerned. He said it was just drama and gossip and once they got over it, they'd leave me alone."

"How insensitive can he be?" Frank snorted and rolled his eyes.

Sienna was shocked. "What do you mean?"

"You're not just dating a celebrity, Sienna. The boy is a Prince, and not only that, he's next in line for the throne! When would they get over him having a girlfriend? You're a potential for ruling this country someday. In fact, right now, you're the only potential."

Sienna laughed. "Trust me, Frank; I'm never going to be queen."

"What makes you so sure?" he asked.

"I don't…like him that way," she said.

Frank was stunned. His mouth opened and closed once or twice before he finally asked, "Then…why? Why would you continue to date him if you're not interested? Doesn't that sound a bit cruel to you?"

"It's complicated," she said.

"Sienna Carlton, if you don't explain why it's so complicated right now, I'm going to assume the absolute worse and I know for a fact you're not that kind of person!"

Frank had never sounded so angry. Sighing, Sienna walked over to the door, closed it, locked it, and put up the CLOSED sign. It was making her awful keep the secret, so why not tell Frank? He was the closest thing she had to a friend.

She started, "Matt's…kind, I guess, but apparently, he's sensitive. I talked to his brother Leo…"

"Oh, _yes_, Prince Leonardo!" Frank said sarcastically. "He and I had tea the other day, what a nice fellow, just another casual common person he is, that Prince!"

"Yes, well, it was over tea, but that's not the point. Leo asked me not to…leave just yet. He said as soon as I gave Matt some confidence back, I could move on and Matt could find another lady."

"And you believed him?" Frank guessed.

"I think I do," she said. "He sounded sincere."

"From what I've seen, this prince figure is sketchy. He seems pretty confident. I heard he used to have plenty of ladies, and once he had you, he stopped listening to you and the paparazzi are all over your life. I hate to say it…" Frank leaned in and grabbed her shoulders. "Sienna, I think he's using you."

This had also occurred to Sienna. Shock did not come over her, as Frank had expected. Instead, she just felt empty. She hung her head. Any dreams left of a fairytale were gone now. She was so mixed up inside. Why did she have to be so daring, just for one night? Was she really just a simple, silly girl?

"I feel so dumb," she said.

"Hey, hey," Frank pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. It was a comforting hug, and bitterly, Sienna thought it was much more real than anything Matt had ever done. Frank was always there for her. Matt was just smoke and mirrors. "You weren't dumb, not at all."

"You even told me, Frank, didn't you? When I felt like things weren't…right, I should have done my own thing and left. I promised Leo to stay instead. How dumb was I? You always look out for me."

"Okay, you do sound a little dumb for not listening to me, but that's okay. You made a mistake and you can fix it, no problem." He released his grip on her and smiled. "I believe you can still part ways with Matt and, being you, it will seem all kittens and rainbows to the public. It won't hurt either of your reputations if you just come clean and that act…_common_ for a few weeks."

Sienna laughed. "That's my life in one word: _common_!"

Frank shook his head. "If there's one person in the world who isn't common, Sienna Carlton, it's you!"

Sienna blushed. "Right, the extremely poor, ordinary girl, who works at a bakery…"

"Are you saying there's something wrong with my bakery?"

"Of course not, it's just…wonderful here," Sienna couldn't meet Frank's eyes her face grew so red. "Most of the time, I feel more at home here then I do at home. If I call my residence at my gram's house my home, anyway. I guess you could say this is the one place that never changes, no matter how much I do."

Frank pulled her in closer. "You are always welcome here."

Shivers ran up Sienna's spine. Somehow, she felt pulled closer to Frank. It wasn't physical, but emotional. She had felt the same when she had applied for a job here. Frank had asked her what she planned to be, and she had told him honestly, she wanted to be a baker. He had taken her on her word, shown her the ropes, and turned her into a good baker. She could run the bakery without his help if he was gone. Frank had become more than a boss over the years, whether it was because of their close age or passion for the same thing. She truly admired him.

"Sienna…" he pulled away. His face was a bright, vivid crimson all the way to the tips of his ears. "Would you be interested in becoming my partner…in the bakery business?"

"Frank…" Sienna was shocked. "Are you sure?"

"I don't think your work here should be temporary anymore. You do about as much work as me, I trust you when I'm not here, and you handle things better than any employee I've ever had. This is where you want to go, and…this business was handed down to me. I could use the help." He looked her right in the eyes. "What if…this bakery was your permanent home? You can work here with me."

Sienna could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She began to shake as Frank leaned in. Suddenly, the emptiness in her chest seemed to stretch and she wanted to cry. How could she miss such a subtle, but intense emotion? She stood, stiffly, as Frank kissed her and then melted in, her heart soaring.

_This, _she thought, _this is what I wanted to feel with Matt…but it's so much better with Frank._

There wasn't a doubt in her mind. She was going to tell Matt it was over. Frank, and his bakery, was everything she wanted. All of the princes and fairytales were gone. She didn't have to pretend anymore. Life was going to get easier. It would be hard now, and for a little while afterward, but once they worked through it, it wouldn't matter anymore.

Frank pulled away. "Was that…too much?" he asked.

She pulled him close again, kissed him, and leaned into his shoulder. Her voice was lost and her cheeks were burning. She had never been so forward with another person in her whole life.

Suddenly, the girl in the blue dress from Paris and the simple, silly Sienna were the same person.

Matt cleared his throat. "So…uh…about that Prince Charming of yours…"

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, sorry about that long break of mine! I'm doing my best! Sometimes life gets a little complicated, y'know, but it's all good:) You can also check out my shiz on fictionpress. This story is also uploaded there, since it's pretty original, based loosely on the old version of Cinderella with...well, A LOT of twists...<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

When Sienna pulled into the driveway of Gram's house at eleven o'clock at night, she found all the lights on. Gram usually went to bed at nine. The whole house had an eerily feel to it, as if it were overcome with misery. Stepping out of her car, Sienna got chills. Her cheery mood vanished. Somehow, she knew her fears were all about to come true.

She walked in the front door and listened.

Voices were coming from the kitchen. There were several. Sienna tried to listen, but her mind wouldn't put words together. She walked slowly through the hallway and into the kitchen. There were four people seated at the table: Gram, Paige, Camryn, and Matt. Standing in front of them were three police officers. The tallest of the group, a man, was speaking.

"We're very sorry that you all had to find out like this," he was saying. "We understand that this must be a hard time for your family…"

Sienna froze.

"Is she dead?" she whispered. They all turned to look at her. Sienna snapped. She began to shriek, "_Is Lori dead? Did she die? Please tell me that I'm wrong! Is Larissa dead_?"

Paige put her hands over her mouth, choked on words, and shook her head. Tears had already stained her cheeks. The new, brave Paige was replaced by the scared girl Sienna had found at the police station months ago.

"What happened?" Sienna demanded. "What's going on?"

"Sienna, baby, there's been…" Gram struggled for words.

"Lori overdosed, she's in the hospital," Camryn jumped in.

_Oh. So, by Gram's terms, it wasn't exactly an "accident." _

"Tell me everything!" Sienna pleaded.

The cop started, "From what we know, your mother—"

"Stepmother," Sienna corrected.

"Right, your _stepmother_ stopped paying her bills, taxes, and house payments. One of the bankers kept trying to contact your stepmother, often with house visits and telephone calls. When they lost contact from your stepmother, they informed the police. Our officers received a warrant to enter the home when no one answered and it appeared to have been abandoned. Your mother had packed up her belongings and left. There was another girl…Lori…who came by when we opened the house and said she'd been locked out and unable to get ahold of her mother…apparently for about two weeks. We let her collect her things after she showed an ID and she left the estate. That was about a week ago. Earlier this morning, we received a 9-1-1 call from a club downtown…"

_And, apparently, your stepsister decided to overdose, after her sister and her stepsister left her all alone with her crazy, drunk mother and then her crazy, drunk mother left her. Not even her mother stuck around, even being as drunk as she was…_

"How is she doing?" she asked.

"We've been told she's recovering," the female cop said. "For right now, we've been instructed to find her mother. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

_They want to find Linda Carlton? Follow the yellow brick road of booze, why don't you?_

"I'm sorry, I have no idea where my stepmother might be," she said.

All three cops looked disappointed.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Madam," the taller cop said to Gram. "We're sorry to have interrupted you at such a late hour."

"Thank you for telling me the fate of family," Gram said. "I hope you find the vile woman. In the meantime, may I take guardianship of her two daughters?"

"That's a matter for social services, but, considering what we know of the situation right now…" the female woman looked at Paige, obviously thinking of Lori. "I would say the daughter in your care looks significantly better than the other. No right-minded judge would tell you no."

Gram relaxed. "Then that's the end of that."

"Thank you for your time, Officers," Matt said.

The third cop gave Matt a nod. "We wish you the best, Your Highness."

The three cops exited the house, leaving Gram with their names and phone numbers. They all gave the Prince a subtle nod of recognition and exited through the back door, heading two blocks before getting to their hidden squad cars.

"Why did they…?" Paige started.

"It's because the two of you are here, isn't it?" Sienna sighed and glanced at Matt and Camryn.

"We came as soon as we heard," Camryn said. "I'm so sorry for…"

Sienna walked over to the laundry room and grabbed two jackets off the coat rack. She threw one to Paige and gave another to Gram. When Paige's fingers began to shake so badly she struggled with the buttons, Sienna jumped in and helped her. Her fingers threaded in and out easily, gently buttoning Paige's coat and then smoothing the collar as if she were a child. When Paige looked her in the eyes, lost and terrified, Sienna stared right back, trying to feel strong.

Leaning in, Sienna whispered to Paige, "Take Camryn and Gram outside. Tell Camryn good-bye. Then you and Gram get in my car. We're going to go find Lori." Sienna pulled away and Paige nodded. Smiling sadly, Sienna let her hands fall away from Paige's collar. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Paige walked over to Gram and took her hand. "Camryn," she said, "You should come with us."

Camryn stood up and followed Paige and Gram out the door. It wasn't until she was outside that Camryn realized she had left Matt alone with Sienna and that Sienna was locking the door behind them.

"What's going on?" Matt asked.

"Matthew…" Sienna tucked her hair behind her ears and tried to remember how confident she had been before. "This isn't going to work."

"Sienna…is the paparazzi really that bad?" he asked.

"No, it's not just the paparazzi," she said. "It's my life. We're different. This is never going to work. I'm not fit for your kind of lifestyle. You are an incredibly kind, open-minded person, and I have no doubt you will one day make an incredible political leader, but this is the end for our road together. I don't regret the experience, but we are not a match. In fact, we're too wrong for one another."

"Sienna, let's just talk about this," Matt said. "You're being rash. After all, Lori just got hurt. You're not thinking clearly."

"No, this isn't rash thinking, this is what I've been thinking all day," Sienna said. "You just happened to be here when I got home."

"Then I'll make you a deal," Matt said. "Let me come with you. We see Lori, you calm down, and then, if you still feel like breaking up tomorrow, we break up."

"I don't need the time, Matthew, but I can take the deal because I know my mind won't change."

He stood up. "How are you so sure?"

Sienna smiled and said, "Because…I feel no guilt in saying you will need your own ride to see Lori, and if I see a single reporter there, the agreement is immediately terminated."

"I can agree to that," Matt said, grinning. "I'll see you in a half hour, Sienna Carlton."

Goosebumps crossed Sienna's skin. The way he said her name made her feel like he was playing a game, and for once, it had gotten interesting. She wanted to fight, but she fought the urge and went for the front door. Throwing it open, she refused to look back and went down the front steps to her car. Camryn was standing there, walkie talkie in hand, staring at her as she went for the car. The walkie talkie dropped and she nodded toward Sienna, something in her eyes that Sienna couldn't place. It was almost guilt.

"And a nice day to you, too," Sienna said, plopping into the car seat, slamming her door, pulling on her seat belt, and throwing the car into reverse. She gunned backward, into the street, and away from the house. Once she was at the end of the block, she looked back at Camryn.

There, as cheerfully as ever, Camryn was waving at her.

"I don't understand that girl," Sienna said.

"Trust me, Sienna, I think she's saying the same thing about you," Paige said, sitting in Sienna's passenger seat with her feet propped up on the dash.

"Classy," Gram said, pointing to her filthy sneakers.

Paige looked from Gram to Sienna with a look of disbelief. "Who _are_ you people? The etiquette police?"

"Please, I am a proud, elderly woman," Gram stated. "I would have had a proud granddaughter, too, if she had the spirit to flip that little girl off on her way out of the driveway, rather than burning rubber. To be honest, I was hoping that from the moment she exited the house."

"Why don't you two like Camryn?" Paige asked. "She's not so bad."

Gram declared, "She was weak."

"How so?" Sienna asked.

"That girl was clearly on a leash and didn't want to be, but, for whatever reason, she didn't fight it. People like that…they can't be tamed. What fool keeps trying to domesticate a woman with a spirit like that? I hope he or she likes their final product, because once she's broken, she will never go back."

Paige looked almost impressed. "How do you know that?"

"Because that's how Sienna's mother was, wild and free, until she fell in love."

Sienna's cheeks burned. Her mother had been a wild and free spirit? That didn't fit Sienna's memories of the woman. In the first Mrs. Carlton's days, she had alternated between quiet and sulky to quiet and crazy.

"What happened to her when she fell in love?" Paige asked.

"The man she loved was so far into his life already he couldn't stay wild and free with her. He told her the truth: they could never be, the way they were. So she changed. Sienna's mother sacrificed her freedom for love and became a mother and a wife. She couldn't go back afterward. She loved her family too much to leave."

Sienna's eyes burned. "Then why did she…?"

"There's only one reason I can think of, for her destroying her own life the way she did," Gram said. "I have thought for years and years, and the only reason I can accept is love. She loved you, she loved your brother, and she loved your father, but she felt like she had failed and there was nothing else she could do. Her mind was gone. No matter how many pills she took, she couldn't control her own mind and nightmares. The doctors couldn't help her. Neither could the therapists. She was all alone, fighting a battle she would never win. It had destroyed your father emotionally and was killing you both. I think she saw this, and, alone in her own mind, she chose the only way out she could find that promised you both freedom."

The rest of the ride was in silence. Paige kept staring at Sienna, but Sienna watched the road. Gram retreated into the back seat. The elderly woman looked comforted by the sight of the window. Around them, the lights of the city had gone up. Far in the distance, the palace lights were on the horizon. Sienna tried to avoid looking at them as she watched the hospital appear closer and closer. She turned in and let Paige and Gram out before she went to park the car.

After parking in back, she walked in through the ER, found the nurse's station, and was directed to Lori's room. Gram and Paige were already there, seated around Lori.

"Well, hello there!" Lori said. She looked awful. Dark circles were under her eyes, her skin was red and blistered, and she looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Why didn't you call?" Sienna asked.

Lori flinched. "It crossed my mind once or twice, but to be honest, I was too shit-faced to know or care where I was. That happens to me every once in a while, but for the last week or so it's been about every hour of every day, and, unfortunately, that made it very difficult to call."

"We would have come," Paige said.

"Would you, now? What makes you so sure? I'm a bit of a mess." Lori locked eyes with Gram. "They said I need to go to rehab. Is that coming out of your pocket? I don't have money for that kind of help and I doubt your little house on the end of the block can take me."

"Lori, please behave," Sienna begged.

"I have fallen off the wagon, Princess Bitch, and I no longer care what you think of me. Would you like to give me an 'I told you so' now that I've ruined my life and there is nowhere for me to go? The good girls get the princes, the bad girls end up in hospital beds with an IV in their arm, dirt broke, with a drug addiction. I can officially no longer afford my own mind-numbing stuff."

"We'll figure this out," Sienna said, sitting down next to her. "No matter what it takes, we'll find the money, or the place, or something…"

"I know you're supporting Paige!" Lori snapped. "Your Gram called my mom. Told her that she owed you some child support, since, after all, you were paying all of Paige's expenses now. How the hell could your bakery job afford both of us? You'd have to own that bakery and some shit to afford me now!"

Sienna glared at Gram. "That doesn't matter. I'll get a second job…I'll…"

"I'm not your lost cause, Princess Bitch, and if you try to save me, I'll kick your ass."

The monitor next to Lori began to beep loudly. A nurse ran in and began to check wires. With a grim expression, she turned to the four of them and said, "I'm sorry, ladies, but Larissa needs some rest. We need to get some more medication into her system…"

"JUST LET ME DIE!" Lori roared. "Why won't you just let me die? I will fight you all over again, woman, if I have to…"

The nurse pulled a syringe from her pocket and put it into Lori's IV. Immediately, her screams turned into wordless garbles and she fell backward into her pillows. The bed shook at the impact. Next to Lori's bed, the nurse sighed in relief.

"She's been like that since she got here, every time she wakes up." The nurse said, wiping her forehead with a cloth. "None of the other nurses dare come in here anymore. I'm the only one…because I'm the newest nurse at the hospital, I volunteered…"

"Thank you," Gram stood up and patted the girl's shoulder. "Shall we get coffee and talk about future procedures? There will definitely be something following this, won't there?"

"I advise an anger management class or two, personally," the nurse said. "Also, I suggest you get her a squeeze ball. Even if she doesn't use it for stress, it's better for her to throw that at me rather than the dinner tray she knocked me in the head with a few hours ago."

Sienna noticed the nurse had a large, swelling purple bump on the side of her head. That was Lori's work all right, no doubt about it. The girl was hell.

"Let's get you some ice, too, along with that coffee," Gram said, wrapping an arm around the nurse's shoulder as she led her out of the room.

Paige and Sienna were left alone with the sleeping Lori.

"She's kind of a shithead," Paige said, laughing and sniffling at the same time. "They're trying to save her life and all she does is scream and throw dinner trays at them…"

"What do you expect? That's Lori for you." Sienna sat down in Gram's seat next to Lori's bed and watched Lori's heart monitor. "The proof's right there, though…she's got a heart underneath all of that. Apparently, that old thing is still beating after all the abuse."

Paige's laugh turned into a small sob. "How could this happen, Sienna? Your mother…my mother…all this stuff…how can we do this? There's no way…"

"We will get through this, Paige, I promise." Sienna took her hand. "I have some good news. Frank said…"

She froze. Standing in the doorway were Camryn and Matt, both holding bouquets of flowers. Camryn had tears in her eyes as she stepped forward, placed the flowers on the table, and went to hug Paige. Sienna released Paige's hand and stood up.

"I'll get some coffee," she told Paige.

"That sounds nice," Paige said, sniffling again.

Sienna walked out of the room without glancing at Matt. She didn't want to make eye contact with him. He didn't say a word as she started down the hall toward a coffee station. She saw Gram and the nurse chatting quietly in the back corner at a small table. The nurse had a coffee and a cookie and Gram had what appeared to be tea. Gram was tall and confident while the nurse looked miserable and tired.

Standing at the counter of the coffee station, Sienna ordered two black coffees and a big chocolate chip cookie. The man stepped back and handed her a large cookie, followed by two steaming-hot cups. She was about to pay when Matt swooped in with a credit card. Sienna was about to protest when the man at the counter swiped the card, gave it back to Matt, and Matt was steering her away.

"Is the cookie for you or for me?" he asked.

"Neither, it's for Paige," Sienna said. "Why did you pay for that?"

"Because it was the gentlemen thing to do, wasn't it? We're still friends. I don't know why you're so angry with me, but we need to talk about it." Matt was firm. "Let's go into that room over there and have a chat. We can even keep the blinds open, so people can see us."

"What if they need that room?" Sienna asked.

"Then we'll _leave_," Matt clarified.

Sienna was now just being downright difficult. "And what if because we were in there, they have to sanitize the room all over again?"

"Fine, we will go to a bathroom somewhere and talk about it!"

"The prince and his so-called girlfriend caught alone together in a bathroom…that sounds like an awful newspaper headline to me. I'm not interested." She turned away from him again.

"We have to talk _somewhere_," Matt pushed.

"Do hospitals have roofs?" she asked.

"I'm sure they do," Matt said. "Is that your idea of a good, calm location to sort things out?"

"As soon as I…" Sienna entered Lori's room. Paige and Camryn were talking quietly in the chairs. Doing her best to be quiet, Sienna walked over and set the coffees and the cookie in front of Paige. "I'll be back in twenty minutes. If I'm gone any longer, tell Gram I'm on the roof and tell her to bring a security guard. Understood?"

Paige's eyes grew wide but she nodded.

"We're going to have a talk, not get violent!" Matt protested.

Camryn's eyes lit up. "Are you two…broken up?"

"Yep," Sienna broke off a piece of the cookie and walked out the door. "See you guys in a few."

Sienna and Matt walked down the hall to the elevator. Matt pushed the button and the doors dinged and slid open. With a gentlemanly wave, Matt ushered Sienna in. Once she was inside, she felt a sense of doom overcome her as the doors closed. Matt hit a button, and then, when they started to move, he hit another. The whole elevator stilled. The lights blinked and half of them went out. The rumble died. They were no longer moving.

"What are you doing?" Sienna demanded.

It was then Matt declared, "New plan."


	13. Chapter 13

The elevator screeched to a halt.

Sienna began to panic. "Matt, stop it! You don't know what you're doing! What if you break the elevator?"

"Sienna, trust me when I say a swift plummet to my death would solve several of my problems at the moment. Sorry I'm not more concerned." He stepped in front of the elevator's controls and faced her. "Now, let's talk. Tell me why you want to break up."

"Look, Matt, you're a really nice guy…"

Matt cut her off. "Okay, from now on, let's stop bullshitting one another, why don't we?" He ran his fingers through his hair. And, once again, as he lifted his brown hair out of the way, Sienna noticed a single diamond earring in his right ear. "I'm willing to talk about anything, no matter how dumb it sounds. Just…tell me."

And, before she could stop it, out of Sienna's mouth came, "Are you gay?"

Matt froze. Apparently, out of all the things he had expected Sienna to say, that hadn't been it. To be honest, that wasn't one of the first things that had come to mind when Sienna had wanted to talk to Matt. It seemed ridiculous. How could Matt be gay? Yet…something about the way he reacted, even if he told her afterward he wasn't, she would always doubt. His face was speechless. How could he be caught off so guard if it wasn't true? Apparently, Lori had been right. Prince Charming had one big, gigantic skeleton in his closet.

"Who told you?" he asked. "Was it Camryn?"

_That _Sienna had not expected.

"Camryn knows?" she asked.

Matt smacked his head. "Please tell me James wasn't the one who told you!"

"No, he wasn't," Sienna shook her head. "But…is James gay, too?"

"James is my…" Matt stopped too late. He realized Sienna didn't know too late. Of course, James and Matt had a complicated relationship—they were in a relationship that Sienna was also a part of. "Um…to answer your question, yes, James is also gay. We're also…quite close. You can probably guess…"

"If you have James, then why am I here?" Sienna motioned to all of her. "What was the point of us…_doing whatever_…if you have someone else you should be doing all of this with?"

"You know," Matt laughed awkwardly, "when I imagined you finding out about this, that wasn't the response I expected."

"WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN ASSHOLE TO JAMES?" Sienna screamed.

"Why are you so concerned with how I treat James? Aren't you upset at all that I've been keeping this from you and pretty much entered a serious relationship with you, full aware that I don't like your…_gender_…that way?!" Matt seemed almost upset that Sienna wasn't crushed.

"You are such a…a…SHITHEAD!" Sienna threw up her arms in rage. "James is such a sweet guy, he obviously cares that you're doing this, and…and…just…_why_?" Sienna felt so angry. "Why would you even do this? I don't understand! None of this makes any sense! I got that you didn't really like me, but…seriously?! Are you in the closet or something?!"

"Actually, yes, I am," Matt ran his fingers through his hair again, this time spiking it all forward. "Do you know how hard it can be to be two different people? To my parents, I'm Prince Matthew, first in line for the throne. I'll inherit it soon. How will they accept me? James isn't exactly a Queen, Sienna, and it would be extremely difficult for us to have an heir without…you know…" he motioned to her whole body. "The lady element of the equation, okay? We can't have a child! Therefore, they would take the throne from me!"

"You're dating me for the throne?!" Sienna screeched.

For once, Matt flinched. Closing his eyes, he covered his face with his face and groaned.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch that, Your Highness!" Sienna roared. "Would you like me to repeat the question?"

"I said, 'no,'" Matt said. He uncovered his face. Tears were rolling down his face. "Believe me, Sienna, that is not the reason I did all this. The throne is important. Both Leonardo and I know this. So does Camryn. The truth is marriages in the royal family have been fixed now and again. It happens. We patch it up and make it look normal. So what if I'm gay? If I marry a woman who would be an exceptional Queen, who is kind and passionate, the throne would be safe. No simple gold digger would work, Sienna. I can't just offer my hand to anyone. The girl I marry has to be right for this country. Camryn, even though Leonardo loves her, is not right. She's a wild spirit. Camryn outlets all her fear and pent up spirit into the party circuit and gets into all sorts of trouble. I…I was part of it because of James. Only there were we accepted for who we were. I met Paige after a nasty breakup James and I had. She has no idea I'm gay. Back then, I…" Matt just shook his head. "It was sort of one last hoorah, you know? After I left the party circuit that last time, it was back to my parents and getting engaged. Paige actually helped me keep an eye on Camryn."

"The fight you had with Leonardo, and then with James…it was about Camryn, wasn't it? Do you not like Camryn?" Sienna asked.

"No, no, I love Camryn. She makes Leonardo happy. Leonardo would be a great king if the worst happened to me, but…I don't trust Camryn. In the worst situations, she doesn't put the good of everyone in front of her needs. Sometimes, the job of ruling a kingdom is self-sacrifice. If she were to take the crown because I was unable to—back to me being gay, of course—then it would hurt the country. As the first-born son, I can't let it come to that." Matt shook his head. "This really isn't how I expected this conversation to go."

For a few moments, Sienna thought about nothing but what she had experienced with Camryn. All the anger Sienna held toward her faded. Sienna simply didn't understand Camryn.

And then Sienna remembered what Gram had said about her own mother: she had been wild and free. Matt had said something similar. It wasn't that Camryn was trying to be difficult. Camryn's personality was hard to understand and even harder to control. Instead of dealing with things normally, Camryn freaked; just like Sienna's mother. And, unfortunately, Sienna knew exactly how that had turned out for her mother.

"Exactly how was this supposed to end?" Sienna asked.

"It wasn't supposed to end," Matt admitted. "Right here, the conversation that follows…it's a proposal. Sienna, you are the most kind-hearted, open-minded, incredible girl I've ever met. If I was a straight guy, I'd love you. As a gay guy, all I can offer you is friendship. If you marry me, though, I know you can help me rule this country and take care of the people living in it. I know, you probably want to find your own love and life…but I can help you. Think of your sisters and your gram. They'd never have to lift another finger. We can get Lori help. Paige can go to school, maybe even college. Your gram can live peacefully, knowing her family is taken care of. Sienna, you told me you always wanted to help people. Please, help me. I'm out of time. My father wants an engagement now. Either you agree to marry me or Leonardo will step up and Camryn will…"

Did Matt really not trust his own family?

"Why don't you tell your parents, Matt? What if they help you?" Sienna asked.

"An arranged marriage was already their choice. The girl is absolutely horrid. They threw me a ball to help me find my own candidate. I found you, Sienna. You were the only girl there not looking for me…I need you." Matt bent down on one knee, taking her hands. "You aren't corrupt. Even my parents would prefer you over the girl they chose. Please, Sienna…this isn't just for you. It's for my family, your family, and the people of this nation. What we sacrifice here, we save for our families. Leonardo can love Camryn. Paige can grow up at her own pace. Lori will find she can believe in love again. Together, you and I can lead this country. I know it's a lot to ask, but I beg of you, Sienna. Please, I know it's a lot to ask…but will you sacrifice a little bit of your freedom for the sake of our home?"

Sienna couldn't speak. For some reason, her mind wouldn't let her freak out. Instead, it looked at both sides. Yes, she felt some feelings for Frank. What kind of future did they have? Matt wasn't just some guy asking her hand. This was Prince Matthew, next in line for the throne, desperate for the sake of his country and the future of his people. How could she walk away? If the country fell to ruin after she walked away from him in his hour of need, how could she forgive herself? There was a balance to her choices. Which one would warp her? No matter which she took, she would feel guilt afterward. Would she have the missed chance with Frank or would she lose her family and her home? There was no comparison. Even as her heart screamed no, as every part of her wept in horror, she realized that this was her political leader standing before her.

Tears fell down her cheeks.

"I can't exactly tell my royalty no, can I?" she choked out.

Matt sighed in relief. His whole body shuddered and he collapsed into her, dragging her to the floor in a crushing hug. "Thank you," he whispered. He was crying just as hard as she was. "I'm so sorry it had to be you."

"I don't think either of us had a choice," Sienna said. "You were born for this role. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was no way either of us could have seen this coming. We both made some pretty lousy choices."

"Will we be able to live with it?" Matt asked.

Sienna shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "God, Matt, I hope so."

"I'm really glad it was you, Sienna," Matt whispered. "If it had been any other girl in the world…this wouldn't have worked. You really are one of the most incredible people I've ever met."

"Then why do I feel so rotten?" Sienna whispered. "Why do I feel like I'm lying to everyone?"

Matt laughed bitterly. "Sienna, I've been asking myself that since the day I met James."

"Was it instant?" Sienna asked.

"It was…different. I knew he was different. For years, I had been confused about girls and what I wanted. There was no way for me to understand. And then, there he was. I became friendly with him. He was openly gay. This I didn't know until later, and soon, I began to realize…" Matt shook his head. "I shouldn't talk about this anymore."

Matt had already begun to close the door. For him, James was a past life. There was no way back.

Sienna tried to do the same. Trying her hardest, she tried to push her feelings for Frank away. She couldn't make them vanish, but if she tried hard enough, she could almost not care. It hurt on the inside. Part of her seemed to shut off completely.

"There are…things I have to do," she said and Matt leaned back to face her as she spoke. "Before this happens, I have to close some doors. We can't go back, can we?"

Matt shook his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if my parents put the wedding in the express lane and we were married in about a week."

"That doesn't make any sense! Why are they so keen on getting out of the palace?!" Sienna cried.

"My father," Matt said, leaning against the wall. "He's been losing his mind over the last two years. Apparently, his body is deteriorating as well. His advisors say he should be replaced as soon as possible. My mother wants to take him to the sea, where he can rest for a few years. In order to do all that…"

"They both need replacements," Sienna finished. "The King is really sick."

"You have no idea." Matt shook his head and sighed heavily. "Sometimes, he thinks I'm Leonardo. Other times he thinks I'm his brother. Most often, when he sees me, he just tells me how happy he is that I will succeed him soon. My mother hasn't been sympathetic toward my choices in women, but…my father has always been. I don't know if it's because he doesn't remember exactly how many women or if he just understands on some level. I want to make him proud."

Sienna leaned out to touch his face. His skin was chilly to the touch. Matt's puppy-dog eyes locked with hers.

"You will," she promised. "No matter what, he's your father, and he's proud of you. Your parents are the people who accept you no matter what."

"Paige told me your parents died," Matt said.

"They did. That doesn't mean they didn't love me. In fact, they left me with so much love I can never forget them."

"What about…your mother?" asked Matt.

"She did her best," Sienna said, thinking of what Gram had said. "I don't think we can ask for much more than that."

"I understand it," Matt said, blinking his eyes. Tears were starting up again. "I understand how hard it is to watch your parent lose their mind. It starts out slow. You just think they're quirky. And then…you realize."

"I know." Sienna leaned forward, combing her fingers through Matt's hair soothingly. He leaned into her shoulder. "You try so hard to protect them. I covered for her whenever she lost it in public. I made excuses for her to my father. When she didn't take her meds, I would sit with her for hours, just listening. That's all she wanted, I think: someone to listen to her."

They sat in the elevator for over twenty minutes before Matt had recovered enough strength to speak.

"We should go back." He said. "I'll go phone my parents. You should…visit with Lori for now. Tomorrow we can close all the doors."

Sienna murmured something unintelligible and Matt stood up, gently holding her shoulder in place where she had been leaning on him. Slowly, he picked her up off the ground and held her close to his chest. He was a much more experienced hugger then James. Sienna tried to feel comforted, but it was hard to think at all.

"Ready?" he asked.

Sienna could only manage, "Yes."

Matt let go of her and hit the button on the wall. The elevator leapt back to life. There was a loud ringing noise and then the sound of the elevator awkwardly shuffling downward. They reached the main floor and the doors slid open. There, standing as a proud and dignified mama bear, stood Gram. Next to her was a man in a yellow suit, fiddling with the buttons of the elevator. His shirt had MAINTENANCE printed clearly across the front.

"Well, well, well," Gram said with a mischievous smile. "What were you two doing in the elevator?"

"Just hit the wrong button," Matt lied quickly, wiping gently at his eyes. "I'm going to go make a phone call."

He gave Sienna's hand one last squeeze before sidestepping around the maintenance guy and heading down the hall toward the pay phones. When he was out of earshot, Sienna faced Gram again.

"What do I need to know?" Gram asked.

"Well, long story short…" Sienna tried to smile, but her cheeks were warm and wet from crying. "I'm getting married."

Gram was stunned speechless. Using the moment to her advantage, Sienna weaved her way around her and headed down the hall, dabbing at her eyes. Voices were coming from Lori's hospital room. As she neared, Sienna saw three girls sitting up tall. They were all talking pleasantly, as if they were all old friends. Paige and Lori, even with Paige's black hair and Lori's lemon blonde, looked more like sisters than ever. A bridge of understanding was forming between them. Their relationship could be saved. Both girls were worthy of a fairy tale ending. They had lost so much.

Sienna stood outside the room, staring at them. Even Camryn looked at home beside Lori, talking and laughing like a normal teenage girl. She was only sixteen and engaged. Wasn't her age another obstacle? What sixteen year old girl could run a country? She and Leonardo deserved a chance at remotely normal lives.

"Hey, Sienna!" Lori noticed her at the door. "Where have you been?"

"Just having a chat," Sienna said normally. "Why are you awake? Didn't they just put you under?"

"These two loud-mouths woke me up," she said, grinning. "Aren't they just huge pains?"

"Lori!" Paige whined. "That's mean!"

"You're the one who woke me up, aren't you?" Lori was saying. She went on, but Sienna's attention was lost. Sienna found her eyes wandering to Camryn. The girl was sitting still, knowing full well what Sienna wanted. Standing up, she dismissed herself. Paige protested, but Camryn reassured her that she'd be right back. Camryn left the room and closed the door behind her, Lori and Paige staring at the two girls standing just outside the room through the window.

"I want to thank you," Sienna said.

Camryn looked shocked. "For what?"

"You tried to save me, before I got too far in," she said. "I fought you the whole way. For that, I'm sorry."

"Did he…?" Camryn looked around for Matt, but he was nowhere in sight. "When he wanted to talk…did he tell you?"

"I guessed, but yes, he told me." Sienna tried to smile, but it seemed the wrong thing to do. "We had a long talk, and…we think it's in the best interest if we move forward. Even if we don't have feelings for one another, in order to help the King, we will get married. We have a friendship and an understanding."

"You…agreed?" Camryn was baffled. "Even knowing he will never, ever love you?"

"We're both sacrificing our ability to take on a significant other," Sienna said. "He and James will never be together. I will never…love the person I love. We decided this was best."

"How can you say that?!" Camryn demanded. "You just admitted you love someone! How can you agree to this, knowing you will never get the chance to spend the rest of your life with the person you truly love?"

"There's nothing else we can do. This is the only option."

"What about Leonardo? He'd make a great king!" Camryn stated. "Just give us a few more years…"

"We're out of time, Camryn," Sienna pulled Camryn in for a hug. "You and Leonardo are so young. The King needs to retire now. There's no other way."

"Please, just…think about this some more!" Camryn pleaded.

"Are you ready to be queen, Camryn?" Sienna asked. "If the Queen steps down, will you be ready to take up her mantle and rule the country in her stead? No more partying, no more freedom, and no more time? You will have a whole country to be responsible for. Everything will always be your fault. Can you handle that?"

Camryn couldn't speak.

Sienna took this as a victory. Giving Camryn's shoulders one last squeeze, Sienna released her and walked back to Lori's door. She opened it, looked back once at Camryn, and then shut it again, this time on the other side.

Lori and Paige were staring at her open-mouthed.

"What just happened?" Lori asked.

Paige looked frantic. "Is she okay?"

"I think she will be okay," Sienna said, taking the seat next to Lori's bed. Automatically, Lori's hand stretched out to take Sienna's hand. Sienna gripped it tightly. "She's just a little shocked."

"Tell us about it," Lori said.

"Well…I guess she just wasn't ready to hear that her friend's older sister was about to be her new sister-in-law," Sienna mumbled.

Paige and Lori sucked in large breaths of air. They waited. When Sienna didn't say anything else, the room exploded. Lori was demanding all sorts of details while Paige was repeating over and over again, "I did it! I got her engaged to a Prince!" Both seemed excited for her. Lori turned Matt's unromantic proposal into a wonderfully planned moment. Sienna didn't have the heart to tell her what details were in the conversation, other than Matt's father was sick and Matt had said he would have no other girl to rule beside him.

"Princess Sienna," Paige giggled. "What a title!"

"I never thought you'd actually be a Princess one day when I called you Princess Bitch," Lori said dreamily.

"You never know, I guess," Sienna said. "These things…I guess sometimes they just happen."


	14. Chapter 14

Camryn did not return to Lori's hospital room. Neither did Matt. The hours passed and Lori and Paige fell asleep in a ball on Lori's bed. They had planned Sienna's wedding until the early hours of the morning and then, just like that, as the sun rose, they drifted off. Sienna was left alone with her thoughts.

Standing up, she collected her coat and left the room. Her first instinct was to wander the halls. There were hardly any people around, but she felt an odd stab of loneliness. Even with her family so close, she felt so far away from them.

"You look like your mother," Gram said, appearing next to her. She had two cups of coffee in her hands. Having not slept, Sienna took one gratefully. "I've tried not saying it to you for years, since it holds a negative meaning to you, but Sienna, you've grown up."

Sienna turned the coffee cup in her hands, unsure of what to say.

"I'm proud of you," Gram said. "I thought…this wouldn't last. My Sienna and some prince…it didn't seem real. You were such an independent, innocent girl. Still…to have this happen…so soon…I'm proud of you. If anyone can help lead this country, Sienna, it's you." Gram gently touched her face, holding up Sienna's chin so she was looking Gram in the eyes. "You have this look of heartbroken defeat. Is it because your bakery dream seems so far away?"

"It's…something like that," Sienna admitted.

"Well, maybe they could let you cook at the palace," Gram said. "I don't think they can say no to royalty."

Sienna took a sip of the coffee. "I have to go settle some things. Matt told me to be on standby. His parents are in a rush for this marriage."

"How romantic," Gram said sarcastically.

For once, Sienna managed a bitter smile. "Tell me about it," she said. Sighing, she gave Gram a reassuring nod of her head. "So…uh…will you be walking me down the aisle?"

"Child…I am honored you would ask me, but…" she sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "Truth be told, Sienna, that place belongs to your father. He isn't here, but on the day you marry, he will be here in spirit. We must leave it open to him."

Sienna was crying before she could stop it. Her whole heart just seemed to break. Gram was right. He was still there, even if she couldn't see him. Gram took the coffee from her as she tried to wipe at her eyes, but the tears came too quickly. Sienna just couldn't get her parents out of her head. Why couldn't they be here? It wasn't fair. Gram put the coffees down and hugged Sienna. Even that felt empty.

"Thank you, Gram," she said, her cheeks burning. "I'm so sorry."

"There's no reason you should be sorry, child," Gram said.

Gram smoothed down Sienna's hair and wiped her cheeks with her sleeve.

"There you go," she said, smiling at Sienna. "All better. Didn't you have some things to do?"

"Right," Sienna blinked a few times and rubbed at her own eyes. "Things to do, people to see. Busy. Very busy."

"Well, make sure you eat something and try to do something that calms you down. If you're not careful, they'll be carting you in here next." Gram patted her shoulder and handed her back the coffee. "Have a glass of water and a whole box of cookies…and possibly a gallon of ice cream. Also, you should have some tea to down it all with."

"Excellent, tea," Sienna wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I'll see you at home, Gram."

Gram waved her off and entered Lori's room.

Sienna stood, staring at the coffee. "Well," she mumbled. "I'm getting married, so hell, why not?" she downed the whole thing in one swig and went for her car, dumping the cup into the trash on the way.

~.~

After going home to shower, change, and eat nearly everything sweet Gram had in her freezer, Sienna took her car to Frank's bakery around seven. He usually didn't open until nine, but he was inside, making pies.

Slowly, she put the car into park. She sat with her hands on the steering wheel. Was this how Matt had felt? James had been happy, doing his own thing, and then, when Matt realized it would never work, he had to tell him the bad news. Did Matt feel as awful as she did? Would she ever truly forgive herself? Squeezing the wheel, she refused to cry and turned off the car. Holding her coat close, she stepped out and slammed the door.

At first, she walked for the back door. That was how she normally entered the bakery. Not today, she decided. Today, I am resigning.

Sienna walked in through the front door. The bell chimed overhead. She heard Matt shout from the other room, but she couldn't make out what he said. Suddenly, she was panicking. Everything she had planned to say vanished. She fought tears of frustration.

And then Frank appeared. At first he seemed tired and floury, but then, seeing her, his eyes lit up. How many times had she seen that before? Why was it different this time?

"Sienna, you're early!" he said. "Have you come to help me open for the day?"

"Frank…" she said, trying to smile. He was like a little kid. Only…he never needed her help. She almost had to fight him to get any work done around the bakery. Why did he have to be so…perfect? "It's my fault, Frank."

His face immediately went serious. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I…can't work here anymore," she said.

"Hey, if it's your family, I can help," he said. "Look, we're in this together. You don't have to ask…"

Tears fell from Sienna's eyes. How could she do this? His family drove him away; hers had left her so soon. Lori and Paige were all she had left. All he had was a bakery. Both of them understood being written off and being an underdog.

"I want you to hate me," she said. "Why can't you just hate me? That would make this so much easier. Get angry, call me stupid. Anything to make me feel less like a cruel, bitchy girl…"

"Just tell me," Frank was begging. "I can make it better."

Sienna loved him. There was no doubt in her mind. He was impossible not to love. She was all wrong for him; she was horrible, she was cruel, she was evil. This was going to ruin her life. She couldn't drag Frank around forever.

"You can't help me this time."

He looked stunned.

"This time, Frank," she wiped at her eyes. "You have to let me go. I did something dumb. There's a chance I may suffer for the rest of my life because of it, but it's because I'm so goddamn stupid. I'm going to leave, Frank, and you're never going to see me again. Please, just hate me. Call me some nasty words after I leave. Hate me forever. That's all you can do."

"Sienna…"

She went for the door. Frank tried to grab her, but she was already outside—and once she was outside, she was faced with two large, buff men in suits.

They were Matt's body guards.

"Is he here?" she whispered.

"No, ma'am, the Queen sent us."

"The Queen?"

Sienna turned her head. Frank was standing in the doorway of the bakery, staring at her. Neither of them knew what to say.

"Prince Matthew did, however, instruct us to collect you and take you to the palace immediately," said the second man. "You are to remain at the palace until it is safe for you to be elsewhere."

"Safe? What am I in danger from?" Sienna cried.

"Some people are not in favor of the crown and will go to extreme lengths to see it harmed," said the first man. "Being who you are, Your Majesty, you are now in danger. We will be at your side at all times until we are sure you are not in any danger."

"Does the public already know?" she asked.

"We aren't sure," said the second man. "Does this man know? If he does, it would be in the best interest to advise him not to say anything."

"No, he doesn't know," Sienna shook her head. She turned to face Frank. He was completely horrified. "Frank, you shouldn't answer any questions involving me. You never knew me. I was just a girl who worked for you."

"Are you serious?" he whispered. His voice sounded tortured, like she had just struck him.

"Not a word," she said. "From here on, we should never interact again."

"Why?" he asked. "Why is it that important?"

"Because," she looked away. "The world can never know I love you."

She walked to her car. The men had parked next to it with a black suburban.

"May I have your car keys, ma'am?" the first man asked.

"Under two conditions: one, you never repeat to anyone what just occurred. Secondly, you treat her well." Sienna touched the hood of her baby. It was the one thing in the world that she would never hurt.

"I will," the first man promised.

Sienna handed him the keys. "You'd better, or I will find you."

"Understood," he said.

The second man put a firm hand on Sienna's shoulder and gently steered her to the black suburban. She was put in the back seat, in the middle, and strapped in twice.

"Isn't this a little unnecessary?" she asked.

The second man's answer was, "The Queen said if you die, we die."

Sienna sighed, leaned back in the seat, and closed her eyes.

So just like that, her life was over.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello there! It's been a while! Welcome back, to you and to me!**

**Jalissa Chase**

* * *

><p>Sienna mentally prepared herself to meet the Queen. The two guards were silent the rest of the car ride, but the tension in the car was thick. Sienna was almost royalty. With the engagement came a title and a promise of a crown. Sienna would be a princess for a short time and then queen. That was what Matt had said. No wonder the Queen was quick to sweep her up in the arms of bodyguards and transport her to the palace. She was a walking liability.<p>

Surprisingly, when the car door opened, it wasn't a bodyguard or Matthew. In fact, it would have been less surprising if it had been the Queen. Instead, Sienna was nose to nose with James.

She wanted to speak, to say anything that would make things all right, but she couldn't. The look in James's eyes told her so: she had what he never could. They were moving in two directions. Their paths would never meet on the same plane again.

"Lady Carlton," James said, his voice surprisingly gentle. He offered her a hand.

Sienna wanted to weep. There was no anger in the gesture; James showed his regret. They both knew each other's secrets and they had never truly spoken to one another. James had seen her fall into a trap and he could not save her. The least he could do was hold her hand.

Sienna took it gracefully and let James guide her out of the car. The two bodyguards returned to her sides as soon as she hit the pavement.

"I can take it from here, gentlemen," James said.

"We are not to leave her," one said.

James was unfazed. "As we are on palace grounds, you can remain outside. The Queen's guard will take over on the inside."

The second one didn't want to argue. "Very well." He turned to Sienna. "Call us when we can be of assistance, your majesty."

Sienna didn't react to the comment. She bowed her head in a respectful manner and took James's arm. He didn't show any emotions, but his arm tensed at the touch. Some nonverbal communication passed between them and he led her inside the palace.

"You are making a mistake," James said once they were out of the guards' earshot. "You need to stop this before it becomes official."

"They need me," she said. "I couldn't live with myself if I left Matt in his time of need and something horrible happened. I have an opportunity to change things. I want to."

James stopped and faced her. "But you will never love each other."

"There's more to this then love, James," Sienna said.

"You would give everything up for this country that has done nothing but despicable things to you?" He demanded. "Is this really about them or is it revenge?"

"I know they didn't ask for my help, but I would never treat them in the manner they treated me!" Sienna snapped. "I am not that kind of person!"

"Then you're being stupid!" James yelled. "Please don't do this! I have seen you in your lowest, and you deserve more!"

Sienna couldn't read the emotions between them. They were raw, bitter emotions. Sienna had never felt so completely broken to a stranger. James and Sienna weren't friends; they couldn't even say they knew each other. The links drawn between them were broken and complicated. Sienna was marrying James's boyfriend. That in itself was a reason for anger and blame, but she wasn't marrying him to hurt James, she was trying to save him. That was another issue that reversed the blame, but it brought them spiraling towards each other on a collision course that would never end well.

"You should leave here," she said, trying to keep herself composed. "This will not end well. Your heart will never recover if you stay."

"How does one even fight this?" James demanded. "Even if I leave, how do I move on knowing this is all set into motion?"

"You can't stop it," Sienna said.

James looked at her in disbelief. "But you can."

Sienna didn't speak. She had an answer, but her gut told her that James didn't want to hear it. Instead, she looked at the floor. James took this as an end to their conversation and led her towards the back of the palace.

To the throne room.

It was time to meet the King and Queen.


	16. Chapter 16

Sienna didn't know what to expect. When she imagined royalty, she imagined glamor, jewels, a thick crown, maybe; what she found was nothing of the sort. The Lady and Lord of her country were in business wear. The Queen wore a long, flowing white gown dotted with yellow flowers. Gold bangles dotted her left wrist and gold earrings were in her ears. She wore sophisticated black heels, not too high in height, but elegant enough to show she had a graceful walk. Her husband donned a suit with a solid yellow tie. His look was sleek, but Sienna felt the touch of color was for her benefit. They were still royalty, but they were trying to look casual to meet her.

"Sienna Carlton!" The woman said cheerfully, her heels gracing across the tiled floor as she neared Sienna. She threw up her arms as if she meant to embrace Sienna, but instead, she waved them off as if to dramatically present Sienna to the room. She turned to face her husband. "We meet her at last! Did you ever think it would happen, Alfred?"

The King was sickly. Sienna could see it the moment their eyes locked. His skin had a yellowish twinge and his eyes were sunken in, spacey, and a little distant. The Queen moved back to his side, let his arm lace with hers, and brought him forward.

This was it. Sienna was about to be acquainted with royalty. James dropped her arm and stepped back, leaving her with her soon-to-be-family. He threw her one last, longing look, but said nothing as he exited. The door shut firmly behind him, but Sienna didn't see it. She was face to face with the King and Queen.

"This is Alfred," the Queen said pleasantly. "I am Suzanne."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sienna said, bowing her head and performing a low curtsy. She offered her hand to the King. He shook it gently, his fingers not quite clasping hers. "My name is Sienna."

"Honey, we know who you are! We know all about you!" The Queen chirped. "Whether from Leonardo or Matthew, all we hear are very wonderful things. I couldn't wait to meet you, but Leonardo assured me that meeting Matt's mother was probably the last thing on the list considering our circumstances. It hurt, but I agreed. Meeting your boyfriend's mother is always traumatizing, so I can't imagine what it feels like when his mother is the Queen."

Sienna felt her cheeks turn red. "Yes, it can make you nervous," she said.

"Oh, you're so honest!" the Queen draped her hands across Sienna's cheeks. "I love everything about you."

"Honey," the King released Sienna's hand and held his wife's shoulder. "We just met her. Let us give her the air she needs to breathe."

Both of them retracted, letting their hands fall to the sides. The King and the Queen were just the average parents. They wanted what was best for their son, and, without knowing it, they had let their gay son choose duty over love. They had taught him right, to serve his nation first, and he did it selflessly. He was admirable, especially with these two to guide him. They wanted the best for him and they expected a lot in a short period.

"I know the circumstances aren't the best, but we are glad you see the significance of this change." The Queen went on. "With Alfred's deteriorating health, it has been essential for Matthew to find the right girl to take our place with him. We need him, as a nation, and his time is short for freedom. I worry about us making him rush, but I feel his choices are smart ones. I know the girl we chose was not the best, so for him to choose you, we feel this choice was an educated and intelligent one. We trust our son."

_We trust our son. _

Was this how parents thought? Sienna didn't know whether to be disgusted or fascinated. Yes, they saw Matt making the correct life choices. They were right for the country. But did they know the reality behind those choices? No, they didn't. They were a complete family unit. They loved Matt and Matt loved them. Matt made this choice alone: country over self. If he didn't, it would cause more stress on his mother and father. His mother who was trying to keep it together and his father who was barely standing were his priorities, He owed them, Sienna could see. Adding an extra burden to them could destroy what little peace they had. His father didn't want to die with a crown on his head and a nation to lead; he wanted some peace and freedom. Matt was giving him that fresh breath of air to be as he pleased in his final days.

"I don't know what to say," Sienna said. "I am honored to be here, but I did not expect it to happen so quickly. It's still pretty shocking."

"Oh, honey, we know. We heard from Camryn about your sister. We are so sorry about the timing of all of this." The Queen tried to keep a straight face, but worry lined her face. "We can postpone if you want. It's just...we are trying to change the crown placement. We expect Matthew to be King within the next few months and Leonardo crown prince. I am so sorry we are rushing things..."

"I understand, please don't feel like you are pressuring me into anything," Sienna said. "I want to do what's best for everyone."

The Queen's hand went over her heart. "Matthew was right, you're an angel."

Sienna could feel her face heat. This felt all wrong. Matt's mother was gushing like any teenage boy's mom. How would James be in this situation? Would she dote on him the same, or would they have looked at him like a disease? This situation was so fragile Sienna couldn't process. Matt had painted her up and down for his parents, all while lying about his sexuality.

"The wedding is to take place in a week," the King said. "If there are no objections."

"None on my part," Sienna said. "That is quite soon. Will there be time for everything?"

"We are thinking a very simple, personal ceremony. Your family accompanied by ours. No outside guests. The crowning will take place two weeks after." The King was all business and Sienna really appreciated it at this moment. One more minute of the Queen's squealing was going to make her vomit the truth.

"What do you need from me?" She asked.

"Well, we would love a public announcement from you and Matt this evening, but before then, we should get you fitted for the dress of your choice. A lot of time and effort goes into party planning, as you can imagine, and we are on a clock." The King tried to smile. The upturn of his mouth made Sienna's heart hurt. "I cannot wait to see my son standing at the end of the aisle, awaiting the walk of his Queen."

Sienna's heart dropped to the floor. She was sealed. Done. This was happening. She was going to be Queen. She did her best to offer a small smile, bowed her head, and said, "If there's anything you need of me, let me know."

The Queen's advisor came then. He was petite and stood with an electric planner like it connected to his hands. He directed the King and Queen away and sent Sienna off with an attendant. The attendant, an older woman who worked for the Queen, was shy and tall. She talked loudly, speaking of wedding plans and colors that went far over Sienna's head. Sienna's bodyguards accompanied the two of them as they left the palace. They took another big, black Suburban across town and found themselves in a bridal store. Sienna couldn't breathe things were moving so quickly. She sat down in one of the frumpy chairs for a minute too long and the attendant began to panic.

"Are you alright? Do you feel sick?" She began to panic before Sienna could respond. "I need water over here, please! Maybe some food! I need a place for her to breathe!"

Sienna was ushered into a dressing room and left alone to panic. At first, she thought she was fine. Embarrassed, yes, but not panicking. She drew in a long breath and found her body shuddering. For the first time in a long time, she lost it. Sienna's chest grew tight and her brain went into overtime. She thought a thousand things all at once, imagined a hundred different obstacles and situations, and nearly lost everything. She dry heaved until she panicked, and then, when she finished panicking, she began to recover.

The world wasn't going to stop revolving. This wasn't the end. Paige was going to go to school and then college. Gram was going to keep her house and her private life. Lori was getting the best treatment available and she was going to start having a life. Everything was piecing together and it was going to fit nicely. Everything was going to get better from here.

For everyone except her, James, Matt, and Frank.

Their lives would be different. It hurt to say it, but they wouldn't come out of this unscathed. Everyone involved would have permanent injuries at a level where eyes could not see, but the change would be deeper. They would all be different people.

But it had to happen. It was necessary.

There was a knock at the door. "Any better, dear?" The attendant asked.

She had dropped the "your majesty" business, at least. That had nearly broken Sienna's spirit the first hundred times they had called her it, but hearing something else, anything else, made reality click back into place. She felt strong again.

"I'm fine!" She said. "Just a little upset stomach."

"We can call a doctor," the attendant offered.

"No, no," Sienna stood up. "I will be out in a minute."

Sienna shed her fears and embraced her strength. God, she needed it now. She steadied her breathing and entered the salon again. Upon arrival, she faced with friendly smiles and familiar people.

"Hey, Princess Bitch!" Lori smiled, but it looked painful. Bandages wrapped around her arm all the way to her elbow. The cuts were completely covered, but the faces Lori made showed they still painful. "They told us we needed bridesmaid dresses."

Paige, small and delicate beside Lori, offered a big grin. She was eyeing the stack of dresses next to the attendant. Camryn was chatting with security, but her eyes wandered to follow Paige's to the dresses. When she saw them, she frowned.

"Is Camryn a bridesmaid as well?" Sienna asked.

"As my engagement has not been introduced to the public at this time, no, that would not be proper for a small ceremony like this one," Camryn said. "I am here to be communication to the King and Queen, and also the wedding party."

"The wedding party?" Sienna said.

"The suits, basically," Camryn said. "I am here for the best man, Leonardo."

Sienna had forgotten that weddings came with wedding parties. That meant Sienna needed to select someone to be her maid of honor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw both Paige and Lori giving her the best puppy dog eyes she had ever seen either of them muster.

"How big is the party?" Sienna asked.

"Five," Camryn said. "Just family."

Sienna released a breath she had been holding. The wedding would be small. No guests, just like the King said. Camryn would be there, but she wouldn't say anything. This wouldn't be open to public viewing or discussion. She could act naturally for now.

"This is happening very quickly," Gram said. "Are you sure this is alright?"

"Yes, Gram, it's fine," Sienna said, letting the attendant lead her away. The woman handed her another dress and shoved her into the closest dressing room. Just as she was undressing, Camryn slipped into the dressing room with her.

"I don't like this."

"I know you don't, and I'm sorry," Sienna said. "I don't think anyone is okay with this happening so fast, but it is necessary."

"Necessary?" Camryn squeaked. "Just let Leonardo rule!"

"He is not old enough," Sienna said.

Camryn rolled her eyes. "In whose opinion? Yours or Matt's?"

"Matt wants this," Sienna said.

"This isn't about Matt, this is about your decision to go through with a very beautiful lie," Camryn said. "How will you live with this choice?"

"I have to," Sienna said, weaving her arms through the dress pockets. "I have to, for the sake of everyone."

"And what about the man you love?" Camryn asked.

"Frank will live," Sienna said, but even to her, she didn't sound perfectly sure. She couldn't think about him, all alone in his bakery.

"What if he doesn't want this?" Camryn asked.

"He doesn't get a say, this is my decision," Sienna said. "I have already made my choice. Please, help me to accomplish this."

Camryn zipped the back of the dress and fluffed out the train. Turning Sienna around, she tried to stay straight-faced, but a tear escaped.

"You would have made Frank a happy man," she said.

"I don't know if I would have or not," Sienna said and left the dressing room and met the wedding party.


	17. Chapter 17

Matt met her at the palace. The attendant, Carol, held the altered dress in her arms as he approached. She expected him to ogle over it, but Matt could care less. He passed her and took hold of Sienna. His gentleness was very romantic for a boy who felt nothing for her.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there," he whispered in her ear.

Sienna shook her head. "The groom can't see the dress, remember?"

Matt offered a small smile, but it was sad. It fell dead on his lips and the happy gesture didn't reach his eyes. "I have something for you," he said.

Sienna wasn't expecting that. Matt grinned at her expression and dropped to the floor. One knee hit the ground and the other fell into a pose similar to a lunge. It took Sienna a few seconds to realize what this form meant. His hands drew a box out of his pocket and Sienna's breath caught in her throat. The moment had come. Her Prince Charming was about to make things official.

"Sienna Carlton," he said, tipping open the box to reveal the biggest diamond ring Sienna had ever seen. He held it out to her, a peace offering in their desperate situation. "Despite the circumstances, and the rush, will you marry me?"

It was wrong. Sienna knew it was wrong. She didn't deserve a proposal. Those words meant something more for someone else. They were too romantic for her. She didn't feel anything, yet there it was; a diamond ring to decorate her taken finger. It was with more than anyone in her life could offer her and it was meant as a promise for more. Matt was giving her a promise in this ring. It didn't come with love, but it did hold mutual understanding and respect. This was her choice.

"I will," she said.

Matt stood and held Sienna's shoulders. It was an awkward hug, but as they broke, Matt pulled the ring out and slid it over Sienna's finger. The silver band slid over her skin and rested loosely at the knuckle. It was beautiful. Sienna could see it shine like a mirror of starlight, a bright white stone surrounded by a flower pattern of blue stones on a silver band. No doubt, this was a royal ring. It was perfectly cut and a little heavy to wear.

"Oh, my!" Carol sighed deeply.

Sienna had forgotten she was there. Carol was there in an instant, breaking the two of them apart to inspect the ring. Her delicate fingers laced over Sienna's hand, twisting it one way and then the other. She was beaming, her blue eyes lighting up with joy.

"It's beautiful, my lady," she said. "It will match the dress beautifully."

Sienna couldn't even look at it. "Thank you."

"May I see the dress?" Matt asked, motioning to the wrapped parcel in Carol's arms.

Carol was shocked to have attention swayed her way. She had forgotten her immediate shock to the prince's rejection in the excitement over the engagement and it dawned on her that she had ruined a moment. Her face lit up red and she nodded, holding out the dress. Carol raised the white paper up and let it drape over her arm. The beautiful beading of the sash drew in Matt's attention and he traced it with his finger. It was silver and diamond, excessively expensive for Sienna's taste, but the overall look made her feel gorgeous.

"I did not imagine this for you," he said.

"Me either," she admitted. "But, with some persuading from Lori, it was a crowd pleaser."

"But it's your wedding," Matt said.

"But we are on a clock," Sienna said. "It already fit and looks gorgeous. They made some minor alterations to it and the dress was complete. Now we move to the next step."

Matt looked up. "The next step?"

"The announcement," Sienna said, holding up her ringed finger. "Your father wanted us to make it tonight. Has the word gone out already?"

"Yes, it has. I am upset he did not consult me, but it is to be expected. I had no idea they were going to go after you. Did you...close all the doors that needed to be?" Matt asked. It sounded casual, but Sienna understood what he meant. It was a gentle reminder of Frank's face as she left him, only for bodyguards to scoop her up.

"Yes, I did," she said. "I am here."

Matt sighed in relief. "I am sorry this has been so difficult for you."

Sienna took his hand and held it. "It's been hard for you, too."

Carol looked awkwardly between them. They didn't seem to see her anymore. "I will leave her in your caring hands, my lord. I will bring the dress to the Queen and then make a place for it in the lady's room. Call me if you require my assistance."

"I will, thank you," Matt said, without breaking eye contact with Sienna.

Carol took the dress, covered it again, and left them standing alone in the hallway of the palace. As soon as she had turned the corner, Matt gripped Sienna's hand and dragged her down the hallway. Matt led her through hallway after hallway. After a few seconds, she found herself lost in the maze of the palace. A few seconds later, Matt was stopping in front of a door she didn't know. The door was dark oak and had gold trimming. Matt released her hand and faced her.

"We can talk in here," he said, cracking open the door.

Sienna nodded, but couldn't find any words as she entered. She knew where they were. Matt's room was as big and grand as expected. He had a king-sized bed with a royal blue comforter. His bed frame looked old and ancient, but stained a rich brown over the wood. It was beautiful and elegant and matched his dressers and bed tables. In the far part of the room was an open window that led out onto a balcony. The open door let a gentle breeze in that ruffled the thick carpet and fluttered through the curtains. Sienna stepped in and turned around. Matt entered and shut the door behind him. He was serious, but he seemed to let the tension float away now that he was in space he knew. He relaxed his shoulders and walked forward. With a dramatic spin, he collapsed on his bed.

"I didn't realize weddings were so chaotic," he said.

"I feel like it should be easier, but I guess it's making it harder," Sienna said gently, dropping down next to him.

The bed was softer than any Sienna had ever felt. She let her back sink into the mattress, the warm, thick blankets warmed her skin and face. Matt's eyes lit up, his body turned toward her. This felt friendlier than anything Matt had done in days. There were no false expectations, no guessing what he was thinking. Sienna felt more at peace than she had since their relationship started. Now that it was over, she felt power returning.

"How are you feeling?" Matt asked.

Sienna shrugged. "I've been better. How are you?"

"I am nervous for the announcement," he admitted. "I do not know how the nation will respond to a crown prince engagement. The last one was before my birth. This one could be especially difficult with the dramatic change in politics. This will be one for the history books."

Sienna tried to swallow. "That didn't exactly help the nerves."

"I apologize," Matt said, falling back down. He rested his head among his valley of pillows at the head of the bed.

Sienna backtracked. "Sorry, I am trying to adjust. I want you to trust me, but I am also trying to situate. This is a lot of emotional and situational change at once. We will get through this ceremony, and, in a week, we will get through this wedding."

Matt gave her a small smile. "We will," he said. "Together."

Before they could talk, there was a furious knock at the door.

"Lord Matthew?"

The voice was high pitch and squeaky, but male. The knocking was repeated and precise, hitting the same part of the door. Sienna jumped, but Matt didn't seem to notice. His eyes glassed over and he stood in up in response to Sienna.

"Yes, Cornelius?"

"You are needed for hair and makeup, my lord!" The man called. "Immediately!"

Matt looked at Sienna. "We will have time later. I promise."

Sienna tried to smile. "Of course."

Even as she bowed her head, Sienna couldn't help but hear a voice in the back of her head add: _in a few weeks, we will definitely have a lot more time together to talk about things._

_I would love to hear your feedback! PM or review! Or don't! Do what makes you happy!_


	18. Chapter 18

Sienna could barely breathe she was so nervous. Matt held her hand, but she was shaking into his palm. The thick layer of makeup on her face hid the deep shade of scarlet her cheeks had turned, but it did nothing to help the layer of sweat. She felt like her whole body was melting into the thick, black coatdress the Queen had arranged for Sienna to wear. It fit snuggly to the waist and was pinned with a chic belt. Underneath she had long tights and pretty heels. Sienna was the elegant, Royal outing Barbie doll.

Picture perfect, the Queen had said.

Adorably chic, Carol had agreed.

Unbearably hot, Sienna thought. She wiped her hands at her sides and then let her hand return to Matt. He held it, squeezing gently, as the King continued with his speech. Matt's father talked about the decision, the ball, and then, finally, the engagement. The crowd cheered delight. They were ecstatic. Their crowned prince was getting married!

Somewhere, Sienna knew, there was going to be partygoers groaning at the thought of Sienna as a princess. Especially, she thought, as the King made his most vital announcement: the pair would take the crown shortly after the wedding. Sienna Carlton, a born and bred peasant and citizen, was to be Queen.

The change was immediate. The screaming crowd was silenced, their mouths open and their eyes wide. Some began to whisper. The majority looked shell-shocked. Did they hear correctly? Was this generation of the monarchy going to end? Why? What was the King's reasoning?

The King said there would be no explanations at this time, but that he supported Matthew wholeheartedly. The choice had not been an easy one, but they as a family had decided it was best. He referred to them all by name: King Alfred, Queen Suzanne, Prince Matthew, Prince Leonardo, and the to-be Princess Sienna.

As he spoke, Matthew gripped Sienna's hand. The time had come. The Queen, dressed in an elegant floral dress, stepped out first. She was natural, not missing a beat. She waved joyfully and accepted her applause. Next came Prince Leonardo, which, by his expression, was not acceptable but he returned the crowd's excitement. As he reached King Alfred, he and his parents turned to face the doorway. Matt stepped first, Sienna following into step beside him.

Sienna's heart hammered in her chest. This was it. The lights burned at her eyes and she blinked the flashes away. There was a reporter to her left and a camera to her right. She squeezed Matt's hand and felt the pressure increase. Glancing up at his face, she saw him offer the smallest of reassuring smiles.

_I'm here_.

Sienna couldn't breathe, but she kept walking. It felt like a mile had been between the King and the archway. Once they reached the platform, Matt stopped and raised their joined hands. He was gracefully helping Sienna onto the platform. The crowd loved it. There was a roar of catcalls and cheers from below as Sienna let Matt lift her onto the stage. The King extended his hand and she accepted gracefully. To be honest, her legs felt weak. It didn't matter that this was the head of the nation, as long as she wasn't about to fall on her face in front of the nation.

"Lady Sienna!" The crowd cried.

Sienna didn't know how to react to the title. She shyly waved, still holding the King's hand as he brought her to the front of the platform. Matt was there in seconds, replacing the King's hand with his own. Sienna let her fingers fall loosely into place with his. Matt smiled, and, with a red face, raised their joined hands to the crowd.

_I am the Princess_. Sienna thought. _But I don't deserve to be._

They didn't want an explanation. The nation exploded, clapping and cheering. They had a peasant who was going to be a princess. It didn't matter that she was plain or ordinary. She was shy, she was gentle, and she was destined to be their next Queen. Sienna was the embodiment of millions of little girls' dreams. One day, her prince had come. Shortly after, he had slid a ring onto her finger and promised her to the whole nation.

But he didn't love her.

Only one man loved her. And he was down there, somewhere. Or at home, sitting in front of his TV. Wherever he was, he was trying to piece this all together. How did Sienna go from his partner at the bakery to princess of his country? It was a slap in the face, for sure. Frank would have been happier if some random caller had upstaged him; the biggest man in the nation had come and stolen Sienna. How could a girl say no?

Sienna fought back tears as she smiled and waved.

_I must look like the most desperate woman in the world to him._


	19. Chapter 19

The week passed quickly. The parties followed Matt and Sienna like wildfire: TV specials laid out a timeline of their courtship. The "possible dressmakers" did interviews on TV. A cake maker presented the private family affair cake and little cupcakes the Queen had specially ordered. A few reporters came by Frank's bakery, but they found the doors closed.

Frank had fallen off the radar. No one seemed to notice, though. They packed up their specialized recording devices and TV trucks and moved on to the next chapter of the princess-to-be's life.

Frank wasn't "away" or "celebrating" as the reporters wrote him off to be. He was still in his bakery, with all the doors locked and the lights off. He didn't want to see anyone. The TV had given him plenty of insight into the Royal family's life, but not the information he needed.

Why did Sienna not tell him?

Why did she tell him to hate her?

Did she truly love the prince?

Was this what she wanted?

A week had come and gone, but he had no answers. Frank was alone on the floor of his bakery with little to no change then the night of the engagement. The world kept on spinning, but nothing seemed to make any sense.

There was a knock at the door.

"Frank?"

It was surely a reporter. This time it was female, her voice was definitely that of a woman. Frank didn't even stir. Let them bang and pound. He had no comment on Sienna's engagement.

"Frank? Are you in there?"

The lights said no. She should just go away.

"I am not a reporter, Frank."

He almost laughed. What else could she be? A television producer? It didn't matter. She just wanted a story. He stayed put.

"My name is Camryn."

Camryn? Where had he heard that name before?

"I am a friend of the royal family. It's complicated, but...I needed to meet with you. It's important. Please, Frank, will you let me in?"

Frank stood. The desperation in the girl's voice was sincere. She needed to meet with him. Frank moved to the door and slid the chain to the lock. It popped and the door opened. Frank stepped back as Camryn, with gentle curls of blonde and eyes of watered blue, pushed through. She was gorgeous. Her dress was chic grey and fit her snuggly from the chest to the waist. It was smooth and soft to the touch; it stopped mid-thigh and had long sleeves. It crosses in an x at her waist, showing just how small and delicate she was. She was model perfect, but Frank assumed that was the trait of royalty.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's important!" Camryn threw the door shut behind her and locked it. Frank was frozen. What did she want? What was happening? Camryn pushed further into the bakery, beckoning Frank to follow her. They moved to the back, into the kitchen, and then into the storage area. "I needed to speak with you."

"For someone who isn't a reporter, that sounds like something a reporter would say," Frank said calmly.

"_Frank_," Camryn groaned. "I know the reporters have been annoying, but please, I need you to speak with me. Honestly." Camryn braced herself with the back of the storage unit. "Tell me, Frank, if Sienna is in love with you, why is she marrying Matthew?"

Frank stalled. He didn't know the answer to that, either. As far as he knew, only two people were aware that Sienna even loved him at all. That was he and Sienna. He had shared his feelings with her and she had returned them. The next day, the world changed. It didn't make much sense at all.

"I don't know," he said.

"Have you tried to talk to her?" Camryn asked.

"I can't," he said.

Camryn nearly screamed. "Why not?"

"She asked me not to," he said.

"But...this is all wrong. Can't you feel that?" Camryn was tearing at her hair. Something was bubbling beneath her surface. Frank could feel it. She had answers he needed.

"What do you know about all this?" He demanded. "What do you know about Sienna and Matthew and this bullshit engagement?"

"I know everything, but I don't understand any of it!" Camryn yelled. "She said it was for me! How can it be for me?"

Frank felt anger boiling inside him. "Tell me everything you know."

Camryn ran her fingers through her long locks. She was model perfect on the outside, but on the outside, she was falling apart. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Slowly, she let it out. With it, she told Frank her story: how she, Camryn, betrothed the most caring man alive but wasn't ready for an engagement.

They were fourteen when their parents decided they were a good fit. The proposal was the same as it had been for Camryn's older sister, Marylyn, and Leonardo's older brother, Matthew, but the two had fought from an early age. Marylyn deemed Matthew an unworthy engagement, and, after a few years, their parents dropped the proposal for the two to wed. Matthew went one way with his life and Marylyn married a General. They were still happily married with three children between them. Matthew, of course, was preparing to wed.

After the first failed engagement, their parents were very careful about introducing Leonardo and Camryn. They met as children, became close friends, and fell in love. Camryn wanted to be beside Leonardo, but she figured that would never happen. He was a prince. Of course, on Camryn's fourteenth birthday, that changed. Leonardo told her he wanted no one else in the world. They were young, yes, but he was royalty, and he had never met someone so sincere. Their parents had been backing them for years secretly and Leonardo's choice thrilled them. Camryn said yes, but she wasn't ready to go public. In fact, she wasn't even ready to digest the idea that she was going to get married.

So Camryn partied. She made friends on the circuit, kept a low profile, and stayed away from the press. She did everything in her power to be "just a family friend" of the royal family. She knew Lee got a beating from his parents and brother over her behavior, but she wasn't ready to be picture perfect. Camryn wanted to be a teenager for as long as she could be.

Then Matt's sexuality came out. Matthew being crown prince, the expectations were for him to marry, take the crown, and have a family. The typical family unit the public desired wasn't going to fit his lifestyle. At first, he didn't care. He and Camryn were at opposite ends of the circuit. Matt was with James and Camryn was hanging out with Paige. Two secret royals, living very secret lives.

Until the King became ill. It wasn't alarming at first. He was weaker, he was slower, but he was able to serve his kingdom. Until he began to lose his mind. The poor man aged ten years in a few months. They watched in alarm and realized Matt would have to take office. Matt, with boyfriend James, was not ready for this position but could not let it go. He didn't want Leonardo to take office.

The scam of a ball was to find an acceptable girl who was willing to give up love for country. She would stand beside Matt, but she wouldn't try to form a romantic relationship. It was a political marriage.

Camryn was disgusted, but Leonardo stated it was necessary. Arranged marriages, political and religious by nature, were a part of Royal history. There was nothing strange about it and Matt was willing to be betrothed.

There entered Sienna: an innocent girl from a terrible background but no experience in the party circuit. She was family oriented, had a job, and place value in prized morals. She was Matt's choice. However, Matt did not play his part as the heterosexual boyfriend well. Sienna realized she was in the middle of a con. When she tried to leave, Matt told her everything.

"But what I don't understand," Camryn said, taking a long breath. "How on Earth did she agree? She knew all of this. Or as much as needed. Why did she say yes to Matt?"

"Patriotism?" Frank guessed. "She could never let someone suffer."

"But she told me it was for me," Camryn said.

"Because you are not old enough to rule?" Frank guessed. "Sienna has a big heart. She put herself through hell to try to support her family. Does she see you the same way?"

Camryn bit her lip. "I don't know, but if that's true, she cannot do this!" Camryn wiped at her eyes, smearing her mascara. "If Matt steps down, and Leonardo takes his place, I will be beside him."

Frank leaned forward and took her hands. "Then Leonardo and Matt need to hear that. Sienna, too, so she knows this is your choice."

Camryn nodded. "So let's crash a wedding."

Frank smiled. "Let's do it."


End file.
